An Unexpected Love
by GottaHaveHarmonFreak
Summary: As Gibbs and McGee recover from recent events, each comes to a startling realization. While working on one of their strangest cases to date, chances are taken and new relationships are formed. This is a sequel to McBaby. Although it's not necessary to have read McBaby, we welcome new readers. Eventually slash, McGib!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N The authors, Gottahaveharmonfreak (Gottahavemyncis and HarmonFreak1) wish to thank all the authors of all the wonderful McGibbs, Tim-centric and Gibbs-centric stories we've read. This is an original story that has been happily influenced by our reading.**

Locking his apartment door behind him, Tim laughed as his dog whined at him, in a hurry for their evening walk. Both of them were still settling back into their own home after Tim's recent experience as a toddler. Tim chuckled again as the dog pulled on his leash. As strangely difficult and awkward as his transition back to adulthood had been, it was good to be independently mobile again, and to have control over his body, if not exactly over the dog.

As he followed Jethro on their usual route, he thought again of the love and care he had received from his entire team, his family. Each of them had helped nurture and care for him, from buying supplies to feeding and playing with him. He thought of Tony teaching him how to crawl, Ziva's tender care in feeding him, Jimmy and Ducky watching his health, helping take care of him, Abby supplying toys appropriate for his new age and playing with him. But Gib…bs? Gibbs had been amazing. In just a few days, he'd given Tim the love and care that Tim had never experienced with his biological father, the Admiral. Truthfully, Tim had never fully realized what he'd missed by having an obsessively rigid naval officer for a father. He'd known for years that Gibbs was a father figure for his teammates, but prior to his enforced second childhood, he'd rarely had that paternal energy aimed in his direction. As he returned to his grownup self, he found he was almost saddened by losing that energy and yet he found there was something more he wanted. What that was, he wasn't quite sure yet.

Jethro strained on the leash again, bringing Tim out of his reverie. Both dog and owner's faces lit up as they reached the park and saw who was stepping out of his car, waiting for them. Jethro unleashed gave happy licks to his second favorite person, his owner's temporary caregiver and boss, Gibbs. Tim also gave the man a happy greeting in the form of a strong hug, both men grinning at each other. Though Tim had returned to his duties as Junior Agent on Gibbs' team, this was the first opportunity since Tim had moved home that the two men were able to spend time outside of work. They ended their hug with Gibbs rubbing Tim's arms, encased in a warm jacket.

"It's pretty cold out tonight, Tim, supposed to snow after midnight. My namesake might even need that sweater Ziva knit for him for tomorrow's run!"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, you think he's going to hold still while I wrestle that onto him? He can barely stand having his leash clipped on!"

Both men laughed as the dog, seeming to know he was the topic of discussion, gave them an indignant look. He whined a bit as Tim put the leash back on him.

"C'mon boy, it's too cold out here to stand around but we don't want to be chasing after you either!"

Jethro gave him a soft snort and led the way down their favorite path, his two men following obediently. Within a few minutes, he'd taken care of business for the night and turned back towards Gibbs' car. Gibbs laughed as he realized what the dog was doing.

"Look Tim, Jethro has decided I'm giving him a ride home. You want to come along too?"

"Jeez dog, don't be so lazy, it's not that cold or that far!"

"Nah, c'mon McGee, I'll let you make me coffee in payment, how's that?" Tim snorted at that and with that the three males, human and canine climbed into the bright yellow car and headed back to the apartment.

Once home, Jethro headed for his warm bed while Tim started the coffee brewing. Gibbs shed his jacket and watch cap, wandering towards the kitchen to watch Tim. On his way, a small furry object caught his attention. Laughing as he picked up Hero from a nearby table, he clutched the dog close to his chest, inhaling the baby scent that still lingered on it. That was one smell he wouldn't forget anytime soon. His mind raced as he made his way to the kitchen.

While he missed having baby Tim to care for, he knew they had much stronger ties now; ties he was sure would last. Funny thing was, as paternal as he'd been with little Tim, what he was starting to feel towards grownup Tim was something very different. He wasn't sure yet just what that was; he'd decided to relax, enjoy their time together and see how things played out. Now he stood in the entryway of the small kitchen, looking forward to the strong brew he knew Tim was making and enjoying watching the young man work around the kitchen.

As the coffee began percolating, Tim turned around, surprised to see his boss cuddling the dog, which he had affectionately named after him.

Clearing his throat, Tim spoke, "I see you found Hero."

Holding up the stuffed dog, Gibbs shook it back and forth, "Still smells like baby Tim. When I saw him sitting on the table, I just couldn't help myself. To be honest, I'm surprised to see him out, thought maybe he'd be tucked away in a drawer by now."

Tim blushed and smiled coyly, "I like to keep him nearby, reminds me of some of the better times I've had in my life."

Not expecting that response from his little one, uh, Tim, Gibbs nodded, "I know what you mean and I completely agree. Aside from Shannon and Kelly, taking care of you ranks high up on my list."

Digesting the information he had just learned, Tim swallowed the lump in his throat. Suddenly unable to make eye contact with his boss he focused his gaze on the floor. There was a moment of silence before Tim finally stuttered, "Gib…bs, have you eaten? I'm just going to make some scrambled eggs and toast, sound good?"

"Sure, Tim, I just had a couple bites of a peanut butter sandwich; eggs & toast sound great!"

"I'd offer some ham too, but someone" and Tim rolled his eyes toward the dog, "grabbed what was left."

Jethro had the doggie grace to hide his muzzle when both guys glared in his direction.

"Oh yeah, he knows he's busted!" Tim laughed, "He hasn't had any treats in two days, including from the dog walker."

"Man, you're strict!" Gibbs snickered as he snagged a piece of toast Tim had just buttered.

"Hey! Well, ok, I guess you didn't want cinnamon toast then."

Gibbs pulled a face, "You want it back? I love cinnamon toast!"

"Nope, got plenty more. Go sit down, I'll pass your plate in a few minutes."

Gibbs sat on the stool at the breakfast counter and watched Tim finish preparing their meal. As hungry as he was, he was really enjoying just watching the man effortlessly moving around. As Tim handed him a full plate, Gibbs cocked one eyebrow and Tim smirked at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, coming right up!"

As Tim poured coffee into the mugs, he had a passing thought at how easy this was, how confident he felt with his sometimes fearsome boss. Of course, they weren't at work right now but still, he never would have dreamed that he would be able to tease and joke with the man, much less offer him a meal. He gave Gib…no, Gibbs, he was going to have to get past that nickname he'd used during his unexpected babyhood, his coffee and sat down next to him with his own plate. Tim was starving and perhaps tucked into his meal a little too quickly; as he ate a tiny bit of egg escaped the fork and landed at the side of his mouth. Not noticing, he kept on going; however, Gibbs couldn't resist and leaned over with a napkin.

"Got a little piece of egg there, Timmm, let me get it." Swiping at the offending bit, he smirked as he saw the blush growing. At least he had managed to avoid calling him Timmy, but not by much.

"Aw c'mon, wasn't that bad! You waited too long to eat, in too much of a hurry?" Seeing he was causing the younger man even more embarrassment, Gibbs gave him a soft head slap.

"Tim, it's just me. If I can't tease you, who can?" That got a smile out of his…agent and Gibbs returned to his food. Finishing, he relaxed with his coffee and casually remarked, "Ya know, I kind of like you calling me Gib, no one's ever called me that before." Tim's eyes widened and he glared at Gibbs. "Boss!"

"Yeah, really, ok so I'm teasing a little but I really do like it; so don't worry about it. Would it be ok if I call you Timmy once in awhile? Not at work of course."

Tim, thinking hard, finished his meal and sat, looking at Gibbs. The two of them sat there looking at each other for several minutes. Finally, Tim cleared his throat, "Uh no, I don't mind if you call me Timmy, just as long as it's never in front of DiNozzo or Abby or my sister."

"So Ziva, Ducky and Jimmy are ok? What about Vance…or Penny?" With a laugh, Gibbs grabbed the empty plates as Tim rolled his eyes at him. "Ok, so no Timmy at work or in front of the relatives; got it." As Tim started to get up with the rest of the dirty dishes, Gibbs nudged him back down, "Nah, I got this, you cooked, I'll clean. And I meant what I said about you calling me Gib, but if I can't call you Timmy at work, you can't call me Gib at work! Unless you slip up." He smirked at Tim's astonished look.

Finishing rinsing and loading the dishes into the dishwasher, he looked around to make sure he'd gotten everything. Still sitting at the breakfast counter, Tim cleared his throat. "Uh, there's a hockey game on tonight, want to stay and watch?" Gibbs' face brightened, "Sure, didn't know you like hockey." Tim grinned back at him, "Yep I do and there are a lot of things you don't know about me!" Several heartbeats came and went while both men again just looked at each other.

Tim broke the silence, "Do you want more coffee or would you like a beer?" Gibbs knew alcohol of any kind was a bad idea tonight. Personal matters aside, the snow had started since he'd been here and he did not want to drive through that with a muzzy head or tempt himself into staying over. At that thought, he gave himself a mental head slap and replied, "More coffee sounds great, Timmy."

His next thought was that he needed to stop talking before he really went off the rails; he was supposed to be the functional mute, what was with him! He had no idea what was going through Tim's mind and was still very aware of their recent experiences as baby and father figu…_caregiver_. "You know what, kiddo, I think I'm going to take a pass on the hockey game tonight. I should get out on the road home before the snow gets any worse."

Tim managed to look accepting while internally experiencing both relief and disappointment. "Ok, that makes sense. Don't want to drive through too much of a mess – the plows won't be out this way yet."

While Gibbs gathered his jacket and cap, Tim poured coffee into a go mug and handed it to him. Gibbs grabbed the mug and then kept going, pulling Tim into a one-armed hug. "Thanks, Timmy, you do great scrambled eggs! I've had a great time; my namesake can have a ride home anytime." Both men grinned at each other as Jethro walked out the door and into the snowy evening. Tim stood, his forehead against the door, pondering everything that had been said, everything that had happened. Whatever this was or was going to be, right now he was happy and he felt his face break out into a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Just wanted to say thank you for the reviews, follows and faves! We're very happy that our readers like the story.

* * *

The following morning, Tim shivered and stopped his happy whistling as he stepped outside the door of his apartment. As the fierce wind whipped through the breezeway of the building, Tim pulled the collar up on his coat and started the journey down to his car. "Guess Gibbs was right about the snow," he muttered while trudging along the not yet shoveled walkway. By the time he cleaned off the car, his pants and shoes were completely soaked. He cranked up the heat as he pulled out of the parking lot, hoping they would be dry before he made it to work. Tim enjoyed the snow, it usually meant less traffic and fewer pedestrians. Now that he had a new car, it made driving in it much easier. Never one to be late, Tim had allowed himself plenty of time to get to work, taking road conditions and careless drivers into consideration. Once he got close to work with plenty of time to spare, he decided to stop and get coffee and Danish for the team. Everyone was so understanding when he unwillingly returned to babyhood that he felt a treat was in order; it was the least he could do for them.

The snow had started falling again by the time he pulled into the parking lot of his favorite coffee spot. Tim was surprised to see the cafe was busy, especially considering the winter wonderland outside. While he waited in line, his mouth began to water at the variety of pastries to choose from. Once he placed his order, he sat down at a table and waited for his drinks. Even though he was only a couple of miles from work, he cringed when he looked out the window of the small shop to see the snow was falling harder than it was before he stopped. Streets previously plowed were already covered again. His mind drifted back to the previous evening and his unexpected guest. Was there something going on or was it just them trying to find their way back to "Boss and Junior Agent" after the enforced intimacy of his second babyhood? Realizing he would have to put it all on the back burner during work hours, he gave a start as his name was finally called. He stepped up to the counter to collect his order, then balancing the coffee tray in one hand and the bag of pastries in the other he made his way back to his vehicle.

As he reached the car, he fumbled with his keys, promptly dropping them into the powdery white substance. _Great...what else could go wrong today_, Tim thought as he reached down to collect them. After getting himself situated in the car, Tim pulled out of the parking lot and continued on to work. The roads were getting worse, several fender benders were off to the side of the road and a few traffic lights were out. As the light he was sitting at turned green he started to accelerate, not noticing the car spinning out of control through the intersection. Before he knew it, his front bumper on the driver's side was smashed into, causing him to spin out in the middle of the intersection. Once the car stopped spinning and he checked himself for injuries he got out to check on the other driver. Luckily, everyone was okay except for some soreness due to the impact. Tim looked at his car in disbelief; he hadn't had it for that long and now it had been in its first accident.

"Jeez...Tony's going to have a field day with this one. At least I haven't totaled three cars like he has," Tim grumbled under his breath while examining the damage. He knew the car was not drivable and if this had been a few months ago he would have called Tony or Ziva to pick him up, but not now. As the police and tow truck drivers began to arrive at the scene, McGee picked up his phone and dialed.

Finally a gruff voice answered, "Gibbs."

"Gib!"

"Tim, what's wrong, where are you?"

Tim ignored the relief he feels at hearing Gibbs, "I've been in a car accident, I was wondering if you could come pick me up? My car's not totaled, but I won't be able to drive it."

Gibbs' heart rate sped up as he thought about the possibility of Tim, _his_ Tim, being hurt. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the elevator. "Are you hurt? Of course I can pick you up, where are you?"

"I'm fine, Boss but my new car certainly isn't. The accident happened at the intersection of Euclid and Dunbar Street. Please be careful, the weather is getting bad out here."

"Thank God you're okay Timmy; a car can be replaced but not you. Don't worry about me; I'll be there in a few."

"Thanks, Gibbs, I really appreciate it."

Once he hung up and the elevator reached the parking garage, Gibbs sprinted to his car. Even though Tim reassured him that he was not hurt, he needed to see with his own eyes. The roads were much worse than they had been a half hour ago when he arrived at NCIS. Carefully he made his way a few blocks off the navy yard and pulled up to the accident scene. His eyes immediately scanned the crowd, looking for Tim. He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted him talking to a Metro police officer. From a distance, the younger man looked unscathed, but he wanted to observe him up close. He parked the car and walked up close to Tim, who was now exchanging information with the other driver.

Walking quietly up beside Tim, he observed him at close range as his junior agent continued speaking with the other driver. He seemed ok; his skin tone was the same, eyes and ears, no visible blood or tangible proof of any shock. His bottom lip looked a little fuller than usual, Gibbs wondered if it was swollen, if he had bitten it during the accident, then quickly shook that thought out of his head. Well, out of his conscious mind anyway. As the other driver turned back to his car, Tim looked up at his boss and gave him a relieved smile, Gibbs reluctantly refraining from hugging the stuffing out of him. McGee seemed ok, he could probably stop worrying now, and besides, Ducky would be checking him out when they got back to the office, no doubt about that!

When the tow truck arrived, Tim gave the tow operator the name of the garage he had already pulled from his insurance company's phone app. The beverages were long gone, splattered over the interior of the car, but the pastries were still intact. After Tim retrieved them, still in their bag, his car was loaded onto the flatbed and the driver headed off to the garage. Gibbs looked at Tim, cocked an eyebrow and received a nod in return. Once they buckled up, Gibbs carefully followed the tow truck, knowing the garage was only a few blocks away. Seeing the tow operator backing into the garage satisfied both men and they headed back to the office.

Walking through the parking garage at the office, Gibbs gave Tim's neck a gentle squeeze. "Need to have Ducky take a look at you, Timmy, make sure you're really all right."

Tim rolled his eyes but did not disagree. In the first place disagreeing would be a futile gesture. Gibbs wanted him checked out; he would be checked out. Period, end of discussion! In the second place, if a discussion were still in play, Tim was starting to ache a little bit and thought an examination was probably not the worst idea anyone had ever had.

Exiting the elevator, Gibbs, his hand still on the back of Tim's neck, steered them through the bullpen, leaving their coats and the pastries, continuing on to Ducky's lair. Ziva saw them come through, dump their coats and a wonderfully smelling bag and head for the back elevator, Gibbs only taking his hand off Tim long enough for each to remove his coat. Curious, she followed them to the back elevator and caught them just as they boarded the car. Tim smiled at her and Gibbs said, his head nodding toward Tim, "Car accident, going to Ducky." Before she could process that, the doors slid shut.

When they reached Autopsy, Gibbs steered his boy straight on in through the double doors. The lights were on, but no Ducky. Tim pointed to the coat rack, Palmer's parka was there along with a knit cap, but Ducky's coat was not there. Gibbs shrugged, "Palmer then. Not waiting, you could have internal damages."

"Gib...bs, I'm ok, my nose, ears or mouth would probably be bleeding."

Palmer came into the main room in his scrubs, startled to see them. "Agent Gibbs, Tim! Dr. Mallard called, since we don't have any new visitors this morning, he's not coming in until the roads have been plowed again. Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, Tim's new car got rammed at an intersection; want to make sure he's ok."

"Of course, let me get my bag. Tim, here let me put my jacket on the table, its pretty cold."

"Thanks Jimmy, appreciate that."

Gibbs reached out and grabbed the parka; Jimmy disappeared into the back room, returning with his new pride and joy, his official medical bag. The bag itself had been a gift from the whole team, and Ducky had personally given him the stethoscope and reflex hammer, knowing Jimmy would have them for a lifetime.

Now Jimmy used his new blood pressure cuff and meter to check on Tim. BP was a little elevated, but considering he'd just been in an accident, nothing to cause concern. He would check it again during the day, just to be sure. Pupils equal and reactive. Tim said he had not hit his head. Nothing broken, that was good. There was a colorful bruise rising on his chest where the seat belt had held him and the airbag had deployed but his ribs were fine and his pulse and heartbeat were steady and strong. Yep, Tim was fine.

Carefully putting his stethoscope back in his bag, Jimmy told them that Tim was fine, likely to be a little sore and he'd have the bruise on his chest for a few days, but everything looked fine. He told Tim to come back down at lunchtime to have his blood pressure checked one last time but other than that, he was good to go. Gibbs smirked and Tim smiled, thanking Jimmy as he stood, putting his shirt back on. Gibbs grabbed Jimmy's parka and re-hung it, and then, with a nod to Doc Palmer, the pair walked out, side by side. Jimmy realized he hadn't found out anything about the accident and nearly went after them, returning to his senses before he punched the up button for the elevator. Tim or one of the others would fill him in later.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Thank you for all the love! If you enjoy reading this story, feel free to check out our individual stories that are currently available! "At What Price" by GottahavemyNCIS and "Trippin'" by HarmonFreak1.

* * *

Tim and Gibbs rode the elevator back up to the bullpen quietly, Gibbs' hand on the back of Tim's neck. While Tim was enjoying the warmth and support, he didn't know if Gibbs even realized he was doing it.

They entered the bullpen and caught Tony snooping at Tim's desk, sniffing at the pastry bag. Tim laughed, "Go ahead Tony, I bought them for all of you; I hope they're still warm."

"Maghee, are you all right, were you not just in a car accident or did I misunderstand what you said in the elevator?"

Tony stopped his pawing through the bag to stare, horrified at Tim. "No! Not your new car? Probie!"

Tim nodded, "Yes, Ziva and yes Tony. I was in a car accident, another vehicle spun out and right into me."

"Are you all right man, has Ducky checked you out?"

"Yeah, actually it was Jimmy, but yes, I'm all right, a little bruised and sore but nothing's broken and I don't have to go to the hospital or anything."

"Is your car totaled, oh no, you're here so you must have driven it here."

"It's not totaled but it's not drivable either. "

"Then, how…?"

Gibbs interrupted, "He called me, I picked him up, we watched the tow operator deliver his car to the garage, came back here, had Palmer check him out and now can we get to work, all of us?" While his tone was not quite as icy as the roads, his glare could have easily melted the ice outside.

Eyes wide, all three of the field agents hunkered down with their beverages and pastries, busily opening files and logging into their various computer programs. Gibbs sat back trying to remain his usual hard-ass self, but in truth he was very relieved that Tim hadn't been hurt any worse and he knew the car could be repaired. As he sighed and pulled a file from the top of his pile, his phone buzzed with a call out.

"Got a dead Marine, gear up! DiNozzo, you and Ziva take the van. McGee, you're with me, call Palmer, and see if Ducky's in; if not have him let Ducky know to meet us there, here's the address."

Tim grabbed the slip of paper from Gibbs as he called Palmer. He spoke and then hung up, grabbing his gear and his coat, running for the elevator and trying not to wince. He slid in just as the elevator doors were closing and tried to catch his breath before saying "Ducky just walked in, they'll both be there."

The group split at ground level, DiNozzo and David heading for the Van, Gibbs and McGee to the Agency pool sedans.

* * *

The crime scene was located in the middle of nowhere except for a few abandoned warehouses. As they parked, Gibbs looked to Tim and gently pulled on his jacket, "Hope you brought some warm clothes, Timmy. Looks like we're going to be spending the morning outside."

Digging into his backpack, Tim pulled out four hand warmers and handed two to Gibbs, "Here boss, I always keep a handful of these in my bag during the winter. I stick them in my coat pocket and if my hands start to get cold, I can warm them up."

Graciously accepting the gift from his junior agent, Gibbs waited as the air activated the warmers then stuck them in his pockets and squeezed Tim's knee, "Thanks."

Tim blushed, "You're welcome, Gib. Please do me a favor and don't tell DiWhiny that I have more in the car."

Gibbs' eyebrows hit the top of his forehead as he shot Tim a confused look, "DiWhiny?"

"That's my new nickname for DiNozzo. I guarantee we won't be out there for five minutes before he starts complaining about something."

Chuckling, Gibbs gave Tim's knee one last squeeze as he donned his ball cap and opened the car door. "You're being generous with five minutes, I give him three."

After he finished bundling up, Tim met Tony and Ziva at the van to collect the rest of the supplies they would need. Ziva already had one camera around her neck and started walking towards the scene when Tim approached. As he finished pulling on a pair of rubber gloves, Tony grabbed his sketchpad and turned to Tim, "Probie, get the other camera and let's get moving. I can't believe how freakin' cold it is out here, my balls are already frozen, wish the bad guys would catch a clue and wait to do their dirty deeds."

Biting his lower lip to keep from laughing, Tim looked at Gibbs to see if he'd heard. Judging by the smirk on his face, he had and Tim flashed two fingers at him, they'd both been wrong, two minutes was all it took! Tim took the camera out of the case, checked the batteries, hung it around his neck and rushed to catch up with the rest of the team.

As they walked around the front of the M.E.'s van, they encountered a very gruesome scene. Tony, Ziva and Tim all came to a stop, horrified at the amount of blood that laden the crisp white snow. Pools of it collected in the dips of snow and were bubbling like lava pits. The victim was lying on his back, his face nearly dismembered. His nose was hanging on by a thread of cartilage; an eyeball lay on the ground beside him while deep scratches and puncture wounds littered his entire body. They all took a collective deep breath and trudged toward the victim determined to maintain their composure in front of other law enforcement officers on scene.

Tony and Ziva walked to one side while Tim began taking pictures from the other.

"Ten bucks says Probie tosses his cookies on this one." DiNozzo joked with Ziva until the back of his head received an angry slap.

"Leave Tim alone, DiWh…Nozzo." Gibbs growled as he glanced over at his junior agent who appeared to be taking this much better than he was. He would never openly admit that his stomach was queasy and he might be the one to lose it. He was the boss; the tough Gunnery Sergeant who had seen more than his fair share of mutilated bodies. Gibbs turned his head; gagged and threw his hand over his mouth while walking towards Tim. The acids in his stomach were gurgling, he was sweating and he knew if he didn't do something to take his mind off it soon, he wouldn't win the battle. Miraculously, when he got closer to Tim, his symptoms started dissipating.

When Gibbs came to stand near him, Tim stopped taking pictures and turned to face his boss. He did not look good, his face had a green tint and a bead of sweat ran down his temple.

He stepped closer to the older man and whispered, "You okay? You're not looking so hot right now."

Gibbs made eye contact with him and shook his head. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching, Tim quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed. It was a small gesture; however, when their hands made contact it felt as though a jolt of electricity went through his body. "Try to take some deep breaths, boss." While Gibbs followed Tim's instructions the younger man tried to reassure him, "I know its horrifying, try to think happy thoughts."

Tim's puppy dog eyes and swollen bottom lip were hard to resist and soon Gibbs found himself daydreaming about pushing him down, jumping on top of him and exploring every inch of his toned body with his lips and tongue.

"Gib!" The younger man whispered trying to regain his attention.

He looked up to see Tim staring at him, chewing on his bottom lip with a concerned look on his face, "Everything okay? What were you thinking about?"

Mentally admonishing himself for allowing those thoughts to interfere with the investigation, Gibbs shook his head, "Nothing, I'm feeling better now. Just needed a few minutes to compose myself, c'mon we got work to do."

Shrugging his shoulders, Tim followed him to join the rest of the team. Ducky and Palmer had just finished their initial assessment allowing Tim and Ziva to step even closer to take pictures, while Tony stood by. Tim had the fingerprint scanner, so with Ducky's permission, he gently lifted one of the un-mutilated fingers and pressed. Before he could get a word in, Tony was again complaining, "Hurry up, Tiny Tim, it's damn cold out here!"

_THWACK_

"OW, what was that for, Boss?"

"Quit your damn whining, DiNozzo or I'll give you something real to whine about!"

Tim finally had a chance to speak, "Boss, this is Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Kroudle; stationed at Quantico his home is just a few blocks from here."

Gibbs knelt close to the body, his eyes scanning from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. "TOD, Duck?"

"The liver probe is telling me he's been dead for 2 hours, Jethro."

"Cause of death?"

"Jethro, you know very well I won't know that until we get him home and on the table!"

"I know, Duck, just trying to lighten the mood; this is a pretty gruesome scene."

"Yes, I must say it is. How is Timothy's stomach holding up?"

"I'm fine, thanks Ducky." Tim reported as he walked up to the M.E. "Boss, we've got all the photos and done our perimeter search. Tony's interviewing our witness, the person who found him."

Pointing to the awning above them, Tim continued, "I'm sure some of our evidence was lost because of the snow, but the awning managed to save some of it. There's an odd streak of blood leading away from the victim over there. We also found some weird prints, not quite sure what…AHHHCHOOO…'scuse me, I don't know what caused tha… AHHHCHOOO…sorry again." Tim turned away, looking for a tissue. Palmer, smiling sympathetically, handed him a pocket pack of them.

"Timothy, if my assumption is correct, the damage to the body may have been by some sort of large animal and the allergens left on the body are likely what is causing your allergic reaction. Best to step back, dear boy."

"DiNozzo!"

"Yeah Boss?"

"You and Ziva take the van back with our evidence. McGee and I are heading over to the victim's house."

"Got it Boss."

"You got the ID?"

"Yeah."

"Good, then after you leave the evidence with Abby, get working on contacting his Commanding Officer, family and friends. I want a full report when I get back."

"Sure Boss."

Carrying what evidence they'd found, David and DiNozzo climbed in the NCIS van, Tony in the driver's seat, and carefully backed away from the crime scene, crunching through the snow.

The other two waited until the body was loaded onto a gurney and into the M.E.'s van, then walked toward their car, nodding to the M.E. as Jimmy in the driver's seat proceeded slowly through the snow drifts.

"Think we'd better go check out that house, Tim, before the roads get much worse. You ok?"

"Yeah Boss, now that I'm away from the dead body, it's not as bad."

"You did good, not sneezing on the body. Don't know what Ducky would have done to you!"

Looking at his boss, Tim saw the twinkle in his eyes and they both chuckled. Getting into the sedan, he buckled up and Gibbs, for once following the laws of physics, drove at his less than normal maniacal speed toward the home of the late Staff Sergeant.

* * *

After stopping for a fresh coffee, they headed in the direction of the Staff Sergeant's house. The closer they got the seedier the neighborhoods became and Gibbs couldn't ignore the churning in his gut as they turned the corner onto Kroudle's street.

"Nice neighborhood," Tim muttered earning a chuckle from Gibbs.

"I could have sent you back with Tony and brought Ziva with me."

Peering out the window, looking for the correct address, Tim suddenly turned towards Gibbs, "I'm right where I want to be."

Gibbs nodded, as his mouth became bone dry even though he just had a sip of coffee. Trying to ignore the spark he felt every time he made eye contact with Tim, he pointed out the window. "It's just up ahead. Appears to be the nicest house on the block."

"Yeah, like that's saying a lot, boss."

"It could always be worse, Timmy."

Tim scoffed, "Just remind me to get a tetanus shot once we're done here."

It wasn't until they pulled up to the curb to park that they noticed the front door was wide open. Throwing the car in park, Gibbs scanned the perimeter then spoke; "We'll treat this as a crime scene until we determine otherwise.

With one hand already on his holster, Tim responded, "You want me to call for backup?

Shaking his head, Gibbs turned to face his young agent. "I…I…" _Damnit, Jethro! You can't even make eye contact with him anymore without making a fool of yourself. We're working a case and you can't allow your feelings to get in the way! Although look at those inquisitive green eyes, that pouty bottom lip and…_

Tim was beginning to worry; he had never seen Gibbs this way before and wondered if he'd said something wrong. One minute Gibbs is talking to him and the next minute he's stuttering and incomprehensible.

"Boss?"

"_Boss?_ You okay?"

Following Tim's second attempt at breaking Gibbs' trance, the older man finally snapped out of it. Running a hand over his face, Gibbs responded, "Where was I?"

Sighing, Tim responded, "I'm not sure, where were you? I asked if you wanted me to call for backup and the next thing I know you're in some sort of daze.

Pulling himself together, Gibbs took another sip of coffee, "Don't think we need more backup, I'm comfortable with it just being the two of us. Nobody I would rather trust with my life, Tim."

Tim could feel his cheeks flush and he immediately dropped his gaze, focusing on his lap. _Gibbs' piercing blue eyes are breathtaking; what I wouldn't give to taste every inch of his mouth. _Tim thought to himself, while licking his lips until a soft head smack startled him.

Looking up he grinned sheepishly before apologizing, "Sorry, boss. I think that accident this morning has, uh, …" Deciding to quit while he was ahead, Tim was relieved when Gibbs smirked and opened the car door.

"You're not the only one. Let's go we're losing light."

Shouldering his backpack Tim quickly exited the vehicle and followed Gibbs quietly up to the house. They flanked each side of the doorway, when Gibbs nodded Tim entered with his gun drawn, shouting out the customary "NCIS!" Spreading out, Tim took the right side and Gibbs the left of the small rundown bungalow. After clearing his side of the house, Tim headed back to meet Gibbs in the family room. The house was a disaster; trash littered the floor, old worn out furniture was placed sparingly around the house and an ancient heater was tucked away in the corner.

"Nice and cozy." Gibbs teased as he walked over to shut the front door.

Tim looked around disgusted, "How could someone live like this?"

"Question for another time, Tim." He paused then pointed to the window, "It's starting to snow again and I don't want to be stuck here all night. You start going through his laptop, while I scavenge through the rest of the house."

Because the door had been opened for an extended amount of time, the house was just as cold as it was outside. Tim rubbed his hands together trying to warm them up. "Boss, it's freezing in here. Do you think we can turn on that heater over there?"

Gibbs shrugged his shoulders and pushed the heater out to the center of the room. "Wow this is old; I remember my dad used to have one of these in his store to save on his electric bills." He tinkered with it for a moment, eventually finding the power switch and flipping it on.

"It won't produce too much heat but it's better than nothing."

Tim moved one of the chairs in front of it, sat down and opened the laptop to begin scanning through it. It didn't take him long to crack the password and he soon found himself delving into his work. Gibbs started in the kitchen, searching through mounds of scattered papers looking for any clues as to a motive for the Staff Sergeant's murder. After the papers appeared to be a dead end, Gibbs began digging through drawers and cupboards determined to find any evidence to aid in their investigation. Once he felt he hadn't overlooked anything in the kitchen he decided to check in with Tim to see if he was having better luck.

Coming out of the kitchen, he stopped and stared at his junior agent, deep in concentration. Gibbs' heart skipped a beat as he admired Tim from afar. His brow was furrowed as his beautiful green eyes skimmed back and forth while he worked. His pouty bottom lip was tucked safely inside his mouth as he chewed on it. It took all of Gibbs' self restraint not to pounce on the younger man and claim him.

Snapping himself out of his reverie before he was caught, Gibbs cleared his throat causing Tim to stop what he was doing and look up. However, unknowingly or perhaps knowingly, Tim wasn't making it any easier on the older man as he flashed a smile that brightened the drab, dreary house.

Occasionally glancing between his boss and the computer, Tim asked, "Find anything that explains how or why Kroudle ended up dead?"

Gibbs shook his head and moved behind Tim to get a look at the computer screen, "Nope, nothing. What about you?"

Sighing and leaning back in the chair, Tim responded, "I'm going through his financials now. In the last three months he deposited two money orders for 25,000 dollars each in addition to his paychecks from the Navy."

Tim got goose bumps as Gibbs leaned over, their heads practically touching as the younger man pointed out the evidence on the screen. After inhaling Gibbs' scent, Tim expected it to give him comfort much as it had during his enforced second childhood. But instead of giving him comfort he felt aroused and suddenly a whole lot warmer.

"Any way you can trace the money orders?"

Tim squirmed in his seat when he felt Gibbs' warm breath tickle his ear. "Umm, well, uh, I c..c..can t..try." He stuttered trying really hard to maintain his composure.

Gibbs smirked, realizing he may not be the only one who was developing feelings for one another. He grabbed Tim's shoulder and squeezed, "I'm going to search the rest of the house while you continue here."

No trusting himself to say anything, Tim nodded as he watched Gibbs walk towards the bedrooms. When he was out of sight, Tim slumped down in the chair and took a deep breath. Knowing Gibbs would expect more evidence by the time he returned; Tim didn't have time to address his feelings and focused his attention on the laptop once again.

It wasn't until an hour later when Gibbs finally emerged from the back bedrooms. He was holding an evidence bag that had a few napkins in it with notes scribbled on them. Looking up from the laptop, Tim questioned, "Find anything useful?"

"Not sure it's useful, but it's something, anyway. Notes scribbled on napkins, I see some numbers, maybe a phone number, but don't know about the rest."

"Mind if I take a look, Boss?" Gibbs glared at him; then nodded.

"Looks like…argh, I can't read these either, except for the numbers, you're right, that is a phone number. Maybe DiNozzo's magnifying glass will help. Or see if Abby has anything in the lab that can decipher these."

"Good idea, at least we got a phone number, I'll call it in to Ziva, she and DiNozzo can start working on it."

Tim, realizing the man did not have his reading glasses with him, took out his notepad and re-wrote the phone number in rather large digits. He handed it to Gibbs without looking, pretending to concentrate on the laptop screen. Gibbs grabbed it with a grunt and turned away, his cell phone in his hand.

Tim heard buttons being punched several times, accompanied by some snarls and growling. He wanted to laugh but feared for the life of the phone and then realized that it had been Ziva's turn to carry a spare phone in her gear in case, or rather for when Gibbs broke his. If this one was killed, they were down to one phone; his and he did not want it harmed.

Turning, he touched Gibbs' hand, the one holding the phone and tried not to jump at the jolt that surged through him at the touch. He gave himself an almost imperceptible shake, "Here Boss, let me try."

Gibbs had also felt the jolt and was not only dry mouthed but having an even harder time than usual coming up with words. He mutely handed the phone over to his agent, still holding the notepaper with the phone number tightly in his hand. Tim pressed the call button and nothing happened. He tried Ziva, same thing. He then tried his own number with the same result.

"Cell service is down, Boss, must be the weather."

"Great, so now what?"

"Well, I can try to send an e-mail, see if we can get through that way."

"Good, Timmy, send it from your laptop though, not Kroudle's."

"Yep, just take me a second to switch out here…"

Tim quickly retrieved his laptop and set it up; after a couple of attempts he was able to get online. He opened an e-mail to DiNozzo, using the subject line: "From Gibbs… (cell phones are down)". Gibbs dictated a brief order with the phone number, to trace the number, look at the calls and investigate what they could. Sending the message, he logged off and started packing up Kroudle's laptop and the evidence bag Gibbs had gathered.

They headed out to their sedan, careful to close the door to the house, and were a bit alarmed at the amount of snow that had accumulated in the short time they'd been inside.

"Boss, think we'll be able to get back to the office?"

"Ah yeah, Tim, I've driven in worse." Gibbs tried to reassure McGee although he was wondering the same thing. Gibbs slid into the driver's seat and started the car, warming it up, while Tim took the ice scraper and brushed the snow from the top of the car, windows, front and back windshields and the side view mirrors.

Then he brushed himself off before he slid into the passenger seat and buckled up. Gibbs, nodding his appreciation, reached over and brushed off some snow that Tim had missed on his jacket, at the back of his neck. Gibbs let his hand linger for a second, his agent was too cold, they needed to get this car heated and be on their way. When Tim was settled in, having paused for a second to enjoy the nicely warm hand at the back of his nec…jacket, he nodded at his boss. Putting the car into gear, Gibbs carefully accelerated towards the street. They moved along for about half a block before hitting a nasty patch of ice and, although Gibbs fought, as only he knew how, the car began spinning out of control. _This reminds me of riding the Teacups at DisneyWorld_ was Tim's last thought; they both gasped when they saw a very large tree coming their way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ziva was busy gathering background information on Kroudle when a paper ball whizzed past her and landed behind the desk. She glanced up at Tony who was already crumbling the next piece of paper to throw in her direction.

"Tony!"

DiNozzo flashed an innocent smile then proceeded to lob another ball, this time hitting her in the head. Slamming her hands down on the desk she got up, walked over and cornered him. She grabbed his hand; using her thumb to put pressure on the artery.

"Throw one more paper ball at me and that is the last time you will ever use this hand! You got that?"

Tony squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Ziva continued to apply pressure. When he refused to answer, she pressed down harder causing Tony to let out a yelp. "I g…go…got it." He whimpered as she released his hand and took a step back.

"Good!" She replied; satisfied DiNozzo would stop for at least the remainder of the night.

"Jeez you weren't kidding," he whined as he shook and rubbed his hand trying to restore blood flow.

"You have known me long enough to know that I do not joke, Tony."

Getting up from the chair, Tony carefully scooted past her and went to the window. "I'm bored, that's all. It's been awhile since we've heard from Gibbs and McGee. Ducky, Palmer and Abby are waiting on results and we've already contacted Kroudle's family and Commanding Officer. What else is there to do?"

"I am working on his background, you can hel…" Just as Ziva was about to finish, an alert sounded from Tony's computer notifying there was a new email.

"Ah ha, saved by the ding," he snickered, while walking back to his desk to open his email. Ziva followed him and looked over his shoulder as he pulled up his account. Feeling her presence, Tony turned around, "Do you mind?"

"No, I do not," she said in a straightforward manner. Rolling his eyes, he clicked on his inbox, "It's from Probie." He paused as he read the subject line, "No, actually it's from Gibbs."

Ziva shook her head in confusion, "Is it from McGee or Gibbs?"

"Does it really matter?" He questioned as he opened the email and began reading. "They found a phone number at Kroudle's house; Gibbs wants us to investigate and see where it leads." Tony scribbled the number down on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

Scoffing she yanked the paper out of his hand, "I thought you were bored!"

Tony leaned back, took out his cell phone and put his feet up on the desk, "Tracing phone numbers is Probie work."

Ziva snatched the phone out of his hand before he had a chance to react. "Hey, give that back," he complained as she put it in her pocket and set the paper with the phone number on his desk.

When she got back to her desk and sat down, Tony was still reeling from having one pulled over on him. "C'mon Zeevah, if you don't give it back, I'm going to tell Gibbs."

"Fine! I will tell him how you were bored and unwilling to do your job. That is really going to go over well with him."

Realizing Ziva was right; Tony opened the tracer program and entered the number that was listed in the email. Once he started the search he stood up, "I'm going to get coffee; it could take awhile until we have a match." Happy to have some peace and quiet, Ziva waved him on as he began to walk away. However, before he could step in the elevator, a series of beeps signaled a match to the phone number.

"That was quick," he responded, walking back to his desk. He pulled it up on the plasma as the map zoned in on a remote area in Virginia.

Tony studied the map, "The phone number is attached to a building in Fort Valley, Virginia." He pointed out the location and continued, "From the looks of it, that's only about two hours west of here."

Ziva ran an Internet search on the town then pulled up her findings on the screen, "It is known for its seclusion and surrounded by the George Washington National Forest. The population is only fourteen hundred people."

"Whatever is going on there, they're working really hard to keep a low profile."

Standing up from her desk, Ziva joined Tony in front of the plasma, "Could be terrorists, drugs …" Before she could continue, Tony interrupted her, "Remember the condition of the body? Let's not also forget McSneezy who is allergic to about every creature known to man."

"I do not think we should jump to conclusions. We need to drive over there and check it out."

They both looked over at the window at the snow, which was coming down fast and furious. Tony scoffed, "There's no way I'm driving out to the middle of nowhere in a blizzard even if the vehicles are equipped with four wheel drive."

Patting Tony on the shoulder, Ziva chuckled, "You do not have to; I will drive."

Throwing his hands up in the air, Tony's voice raised an octave, "Oh no, no, no you're not driving anywhere! I'm still young; I would like to live, thank you very much!"

Shrugging her shoulders, Ziva scoffed, "Fine; have it your way."

While they were busy arguing, neither noticed Vance emerging from the back elevator, coming to a stop in the middle of the bullpen. Clearing his throat to get their attention, he asked, "Where are Gibbs and McGee?"

Tony looked at his watch; "They've been at Staff Sergeant Kroudle's house since we left the crime scene. We got an email from McGee twenty minutes ago saying their cell phones were down, but found a phone number that needed tracing."

Looking over at the plasma, Vance replied, "And?"

Not allowing Tony a chance to respond, Ziva began filling the Director in on the new information they learned. "The phone number was for a location in Fort Valley, Virginia."

Vance cocked one of his eyebrows, "And?"

Grabbing the remote, Ziva displayed the map the two of them were looking at earlier before she continued, "As you can see from the map, Fort Valley is two hours west of here. Tony and I were discussing whether to go tonight or wait until the snow storm dies down."

Glancing between the duo to gauge if they were serious, Vance chuckled when he realized they were. "I appreciate how dedicated you are to your jobs, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you drive there tonight. In fact, I came up here to tell you to go home while the main roads are still passable. I already sent the gang downstairs home and I would like you to do the same."

"Well, uh, I'm not sur…" Tony trailed off as Vance looked in his direction.

"Got something to say, Special Agent DiNozzo?"

"I don't know how Gibbs would feel about that, sir." Tony mumbled, suddenly fascinated with his shoes.

"Last time I checked, Agent Gibbs' name isn't on the door upstairs. I'm giving you two a direct order to go home! Do I make myself clear?"

Nodding simultaneously they each began saving the new information they had gathered.

Heading to the stairs, Vance turned around, "I better not see either one of you here when I swing back by in five minutes."

Packing up her bag, Ziva replied, "We understand, Director. See you in the morning."

"Good, I'll see you in the morning. Be careful out there." Vance responded as he ascended the stairs to his office.

When he was out of sight, Ziva picked up one of the discarded paper balls and threw it at Tony, "You cannot just keep your mouth shut, can you? You make both of us look bad!"

Tony shrugged his shoulders, "I can't help it. Quiet down; I need to send Probie an email and fill him in on what we found. I don't want to know what Vance would do to me if he came back down and I was still here."

Shouldering her backpack, Ziva chuckled, "Hopefully make you wear a muzzle for an entire day."

Mocking her laughter, Tony sent a quick email to McGee then shut his computer down and bolted for the elevator. Shaking her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief, Ziva followed him.

* * *

As the car creaked, shook and shuddered from its impact with the tree, Tim gingerly opened his eyes. He had shut them tightly, not wanting to witness his second accident of the day. The last sounds he'd heard had been Gibbs grunting as he struggled, trying to avoid the tree until the inevitable second of impact. For all his efforts, the car gave a partial last spin before crunching into the tree, the main point of impact the driver's side front part of the car. The airbags had deployed and were now dangling pieces of fabric, having done their job. As Tim now looked at Gibbs, his eyes widened as he noticed the blood pouring down his boss's face. Before he did anything else, he reached out and turned the car off, removing the key. The older man's eyes were still closed and Tim grimaced as he fought his seat belt to turn toward him. Finally freeing himself, he carefully reached over to Gibbs, and was gently exploring his head to find the cut when the man's eyes opened.

Tim spoke gently, "Don't move, Gib, you've got a cut on your head, I'm trying to see how bad it is."

"I'm ok, Timmy, are you hurt?"

"No, not hurt at all."

"Good…argh…" Tim startled at Gibbs' groan. "Is it your head or somewhere else?"

"My head and my arm, think I wrenched it trying to move the car away from the tree."

"Ok, let me find something to put on your head to try and stop the bleeding; then we'll get to your arm. Try and relax, Boss."

"I'll try." Gibbs shut his eyes again and Tim, a bit alarmed, took his parka and shirt off, using his belt knife to cut a long strip of his shirt for a makeshift bandage. He cut off a smaller piece and folded it into a pad. Finally locating the cut, he pressed with the small pad, hoping to stop or at least slow down the bleeding. When that didn't help after a few minutes, he left the pad on the cut and tied the longer piece around Gibbs' head. He needed to get the bleeding stopped and get them to shelter, the car was already cold. Hypothermia, while it might slow the bleeding, wouldn't do either of them any good. Looking around, he realized their best bet would be the dilapidated old house they'd just left.

Rousing Gibbs, he told him he was going to take him to the house and then come back for their gear. Gibbs grunted in agreement. Tim found he could open his door without any problem, but when he worked his way through the snow to the driver's side, he saw opening that door would be impossible. Rather than spend time on it, he followed his own footsteps in the snow back to the passenger side of the car.

Getting back into the car, he told Gibbs, "The door on your side is jammed. You're going to have to move over to my side and I'll get you out that way."

Gibbs opened his eyes, "Going to need your help, Timmy. Think my right foot is stuck under the pedal."

Tim swore at himself as he looked down, seeing one of Gibbs' feet lodged under the accelerator. He couldn't believe he'd missed that. Thanking whoever had graced him with long fingers, arms and legs so that he could reach down without having to contort himself or hurt Gibbs, he manipulated first the accelerator pedal and then the stuck foot. He worked slowly; not wanting to cause further pain or injury to the foot. He finally freed the foot by prying it, as gently as possible, from the boot Gibbs was wearing.

Once he got the foot free, he ran his hands carefully over it, not feeling any obvious damage. When Gibbs uttered a noise that sounded amazingly like a giggle, Tim froze.

"Gib?"

"Ticklish, Tim; it's ok. My foot is sore but it doesn't hurt badly."

"Ok, let me get that boot out now." Reaching back down over Gibbs' leg and trying mightily not to think about the bodily contact, he wrestled the boot out from under the pedal and then carefully put it back on the foot. Since the foot was a little swollen, he didn't bother tying the laces. As he finished, he looked up at Gibbs and saw a bleary smile on the man's face.

"You're doing good, Tim, just need to get us to the house now."

"Ok, can you scoot your butt over here or want some help?"

Gibbs gave him a big smiley smirk and Tim knew immediately he was blushing, he could feel heat on his face…and elsewhere. He shook his head; he needed to get him to shelter and what was with this anyway? He'd never in his life been attracted to a man, it had never even occurred to him; what was happening to him?

"Hmm, think I might need some help."

"Boss."

"All right." Tim looked at the man he was having some very different feelings for and watched as he worked to scoot sideways. While Tim watched his efforts, he put his jacket back on to get it out of the way and stuffed the remnants of his shirt into his jacket pocket. At that point, Tim realized Gibbs really did need help and wrapping his long arms around his waist, pulled him sideways toward him.

When Gibbs ended up nearly in his lap, Tim scrambled backwards out the door, trying not to show the panic currently warring with his too eager libido. Recovering quickly, he pulled Gibbs' legs out and then pulled the man up into his arms, not wanting to chance that the foot was hurt worse than they thought and Gibbs would not be able to stand on his own.

Gibbs nearly swallowed his tongue when Tim pulled him out of the car and into his arms. He understood why he'd done that; it was a good move as he really didn't want to face plant in the snow; however his feelings for the younger man were quickly spiraling into something he had never felt before. Gibbs was as straight as could be, had been his whole life, had never felt the least bit of attraction to another man. Even with the sometimes closeness of men in combat, there hadn't been anything. Until now. He took a deep breath and realized that was a mistake as he inhaled Tim's scent. With Tim's strong arms still holding him up, he took a tentative step with his good foot and found that, other than the snow, he felt stable enough to walk. Tim kept one arm slung around his back in support as they made their way slowly back to the old house. Gibbs leaned on Tim, as he wasn't quite sure of his sore foot. The short half block traveled by car took several minutes to walk through the still drifting snow.

Finally making it back to the house, Tim helped Gibbs sit down before dragging the heater in front of the older man. His heart skipped a beat when he flipped the switch and nothing happened. There was no way they were going to make it through the night without some type of heat. Tim took a few deep breaths, he knew he needed to remain calm and figure out a way to fix it. Gibbs was always the one who took care of his family, now it was time to return the favor.

Realizing it was taking longer to turn on the heater than it should have Gibbs cleared his throat, "What's wrong Timmy?"

Drawing in a long sigh, Tim gingerly turned his upper body to address his boss, "The heater won't turn on. It was working fine earlier and now when we really need it, the damn thing won't turn on."

"Try fiddling with the cord, I think there's a short in it. Probably needs to be at just the right angle."

Tim gently twisted and tugged on the cord, trying different angles and was pleasantly surprised when the power light flashed red and he could feel heat start to emanate from it. Releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding, he slowly stood up and moved out of the way. Turning around to face Gibbs he was greeted by a giant smile from the older man, "I knew you could do it, Timmy. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Tim replied as he felt his face reddened and warmth envelop his body.

The two men stared at each other for a brief moment until Tim snapped out of it. "Boss, I'm going back to the car to get our bags and the emergency kit. Hopefully none of it was damaged in the impact. When I get back, I want to take a closer look at your head, arm and foot."

"Timmy, I'm fine. It's just a little cut and some bruises." Gibbs protested as he fought to get comfortable in the chair.

"Uh huh, I'll be the judge of that. Stay put until I get back."

Nodding, Gibbs slumped back in the chair to give his aching body a rest. Tim squeezed his shoulder then walked over to the front door, "Don't worry, Gib. I'm going to take good care of you."

As Tim closed the door behind him a fierce gust of wind mixed with snow pummeled him in the face. The wind along with the cold was making it difficult for him to catch his breath as he trekked back through the snowdrifts. Finally making it to the car, he opened the trunk and was relieved to see two blankets folded and tucked neatly to the side. Thank God it was a rule that during the winter all agency sedans were to be equipped with them in case of an emergency. After grabbing the blankets he shouldered his backpack along with their 'go bags' then closed the trunk. Every bone in his body ached as he made his way back to the house. However, no matter how tired or sore he was Gibbs needed his full attention and he planned on giving it to him. Truth of the matter was he was actually looking forward to being the one in charge and happy he could take care of Gibbs for a change. Nevertheless he couldn't help but think, "_Two accidents in one day has to be some sort of record,_" he mumbled to himself as he opened the front door.

He found Gibbs where he'd left him, in the chair in front of the heater. Despite Tim having been out in the cold, the room didn't seem much warmer to him. His jacket was soaked so he peeled it off and laid it on the back of another chair; hoping the little bit of heat emanating from the heater would help dry it. Realizing the heater wasn't going to be enough to keep them both warm, he decided to first check out Gibbs' injuries and then they could talk about options.

"Gib, I'm back, brought blankets, the first aid kit and our go bags. Your head has stopped bleeding, so I'm going to leave that alone for now. Let's get you out of your coat so I can take a look at your arm."

Gibbs opened his eyes to find his Tim kneeling in front of him, his green eyes clouded in concern. His second glance took in the fact that Tim's shirt was gone and his chest, although clad in a white undershirt, was quite revealing in this cold room. Between Tim kneeling in front of him and his chest so close to him, Gibbs' mouth went dry. He mutely held his arms out while Tim's warm hands removed them from his coat sleeves. Judging by the bright red color of Tim's ears and the nipples showing through his shirt, the younger man was thinking along the same lines as he'd been.

Tim held his arm and gently probed his wrist. "It's not swollen, Gib, and I don't feel any broken bones here, let me check the rest of your arm." Tim shivered as he ran his hands up his boss's muscular arm.

Running his hand back down Gibbs' arm, Tim tried to swallow then realized his mouth had gone drier than sand in the desert. Biting his lower lip, he thought about what he now knew he wanted and also realized that under the circumstances, he'd have to be the one to raise the topic. Moving from Gibbs' arm to his injured foot, the younger man tried to keep a clinical touch to avoid tickling or causing any pain.

Despite Tim's best efforts to keep from tickling his foot, Gibbs squirmed, finally giving into the laugh that had been threatening. Tim gave him an apologetic smile as Gibbs reached out and tapped his chin, "You're doing fine, Timmy; you can't help it if my feet are ticklish."

Tim got a glint in his eye and Gibbs' heart suddenly started pounding a bit harder. "That heater isn't going to give us much heat, Gib, I think we should spread the blanket on the carpet, then huddle up there, wrap the other blanket around us. We need to share our body heat.

I think your foot's ok, I can't feel any broken bones but I think your wrist is sprained. I'll get an ace bandage out of the first aid kit and put it on."

"You done one before, Timmy?"

"Yep, not a problem; has to be just tight enough for support." Tim fetched the stretchy bandage from the kit and slowly wound it around Gibbs' wrist and if he was fantasizing about wrapping something else around another appendage, he kept it to himself. Gibbs was enjoying the young man's touch and he'd pretty much forgotten about his foot, wrist and head.

Satisfied with the job he'd done, Tim gently squeezed Gibbs' arm, "How does that feel?"

"Feels great, Timmy." He shivered but not because he was cold, the chemistry between the two of them was heating up.

Tim helped him stand up, then pulled the chair back and laid the blanket on the carpet. He helped Gibbs sit down on the floor and then sat closely behind him, pretty close to a spooning position.

Pulling up the other blanket over his shoulders, Tim scooted closer to Gibbs resting his chest against his back. Gibbs tilted his head back to lean against Tim, enjoying the physical warmth and connection. With his good arm, he reached out and rubbed Tim's leg, stretched out beyond his.

Tim breathed against Gibbs' cheek and let himself rub about the chiseled face just a little. Enjoying the touch, Tim let his arms slide down Gibbs' chest and sides.

Gibbs leaned back further and let out a sigh. "This is nice, Timmy."

"Mmhmm," Tim whispered in his ear. Continuing his exploration of Gibbs' body, Tim made his way higher and began massaging the older man's shoulders. Gibbs groaned in pleasure and Tim chuckled. Leaning forward a little, he gave a light kiss to the soft silver hair on the top of Gibbs' head. "Jethro, we need to talk."

"I know you were my dada for awhile and you were the best dada I ever had." Tim paused, smiling and he saw from Gibbs' face turned toward him that he was also smiling.

"Now there's something else going on between us. I'm starting to have other feelings for you and I believe there's something going on with you too. I hope we're on the same page - or at least the same book - and that this," he gestured between the two of them, "could grow into something special."

Tim tried to act calm on the outside, but on the inside he felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He wished Gibbs would say something, anything, but for the moment he was just sitting there, staring at him. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Gibbs spoke, "I've been thinking about you all day, Timmy. No matter how hard I tried, you were the only person on my mind."

"I've been feeling the same way, Jethro. I couldn't figure it out for awhile. Because, despite what DiWhiny says, I'm straight, or I was straight." Tim shook his head as if to clear it. "I've always been straight; I've never been attracted to another man, never even considered it. But now, I can't keep my mind off of you and I want to touch you. I don't even really know what gay guys do but whatever it is, I want to do that with you." He huffed out a breath, hoping he hadn't just killed whatever was growing between them.

Looking up, he relaxed when he saw Gibbs grinning at him. "Me too, Timmy, I've been straight all my life, even when things got a little too close in the Corps, I never even thought about another guy. Until you."

Gibbs reached out and pulled Tim's head closer. First nuzzling noses, he kissed him. For a first kiss, it was amazing. Lips on lips, then both mouths opening. Tim groaned as Gibbs slipped his tongue inside his mouth, gently poking and prodding every square inch of space. Gibbs then ran his tongue over the top row of Tim's teeth and pulled away with a gentle nip to his bottom lip.

They both gave breathy little laughs as they pulled apart and Tim pulled Jethro's face to him, snuggling up to him as they pressed forehead to forehead. His forehead still against Tim's, Gibbs blinked, thinking, _"I had no idea that kissing another man would be so wonderful, it must just be my Tim. That was a more exciting and satisfying kiss than I've had with any woman except Shannon_."

In a daze, Tim, when he could finally think, thought, _"Wow that was amazing! Kissing Gibbs was better than any kiss I've ever had with a woman, especially Abby."_

Leaning back, Tim winced as the sudden movement caused a stabbing sensation in his chest. Noticing Tim's discomfort, Gibbs lightly ran his fingertips over his chest. Tim gasped, from a combination of pain and pleasure. He reached down, intertwined their fingers then leaned forward and kissed the top of Gibbs' hand. "Let me take a look, Timmy. You've taken good care of me; I need to know that you're alright."

Gingerly slipping off his shirt, Tim shivered as Gibbs once again ran his fingertips over the angry bruise that graced his chest. "It appears much worse than it did this morning, Timmy. I don't like the way it looks."

Cocking one eyebrow, Tim whispered seductively, "You could kiss it and make it better."

Wagging his own eyebrows in response, Gibbs leaned over and began his ministrations by giving the colorful bruise a light lick, over and around it. Then he moved up and down Tim's chest, coming back to the bruise and lightly kissing it. When Tim gave off a pleasured moan, Gibbs resumed his work, this time peppering his entire chest with kisses. Finding his nipples, he wondered if Tim would have the same reaction a woman would.

Deciding to find out, he sucked first one nipple, then the other, then came back to the first one and tweaked it tenderly, laving it with his lips and tongue. When Tim cried out, arching his back, Gibbs grinned, _"Yeah that worked!"_

Moving his mouth to the other nipple, Gibbs gave it the same treatment with much the same response. Moving up, he kissed Tim's swollen lips and then moved back to the bruise, licking it tenderly. Tim reached up and grabbed Gibbs' head, and pulled him up for a kiss. "My turn!" He whispered throatily.

He tugged on the hem of Gibbs' shirt and Jethro helped him remove it and his undershirt. Tim ran his hand down through the mat of silvery hair on Jethro's chest, found his nipples and tweaked them, one by one. Leaning down, he took one nipple in his mouth and sucked, then gave the other one the same consideration. Just as Tim had, Jethro bucked, crying out in pleasure. Tim continued laving his nipples with his lips and tongue, continuing around Jethro's chest, occasionally reaching for his mouth and kissing him thoroughly, dipping his tongue into his mouth.

After long pleasurable minutes of loving on each other, Tim lifted his head when he saw Gibbs wince in pain.

"Jethro?"

"It's my arm, Timmy. Nothing we can do about it."

"Yeah, my chest is kind of hurting too; maybe we should just rest for awhile?"

"C'mere, scoot over, we need to conserve body heat, you know."

Both men laughed as Gibbs gathered Tim in his arms, being careful of his injured limb and Tim's bruised chest, and they lay back down on the blanket. Tim laid his head on Jethro's chest, his favorite place to be, then reached back gingerly, pulling the other blanket over them.


	5. Chapter 5

The following morning, Tony whistled cheerfully as he stepped off the elevator juggling two hot beverages. Taking a sip from one cup, he set the other down in front of Ziva and announced, "Hot tea, just the way you like it."

She looked suspiciously at the cup, then at Tony, then back to the cup. "Why are you bringing me tea?

Dropping his bag at his desk he scoffed, "Can't I just do something nice for a friend?"

Taking the lid off the cup to examine the contents better she chuckled, "Yes, you can do nice gestures for friends; however, I cannot remember the last time you have done something nice for me and not expected anything in return." Picking up the cup she swished the tea around looking for any abnormalities then continued, "Did you spit in it?"

Tony sat down at his desk and fired up the computer, "I'm offended you think I would stoop to such childish behavior."

Rolling her eyes, still not trusting him, Ziva took a small sip. "It tastes fresher somehow, has a slightly stronger flavor. Whatever you did, I do not want to know, but I do like this tea."

Tony just blinked at her in all innocence. "Ziva, I was trying to make up for being a little whiny yesterday."

"Oh I see. Well, your effort is appreciated." She took another, longer sip. "I have not heard from Gibbs or McGee, I expected them to be here this morning. Have you heard anything from them?"

"No, have you checked your e-mail?"

"Yes, Tony, thank you I did think of that," she replied rather sarcastically.

"All righty then, I'll just look and see if McTardy has sent anything to me." Tony opened his e-mail; surreptitiously keeping an eye on Ziva's cup of tea. There was nothing from Probie.

Ziva had finished her tea and before Tony could raise the question of where their teammates were, Jimmy arrived in the bullpen. Stopping at Gibbs' desk, he gestured, "Hey guys, where's Agent Gibbs? And McGee?"

"Not sure yet, Palmer. Is that the autopsy report?"

"Yeah, I guess I can leave it with you, right?" "Well I am the Senior Field Agent, Jimmy, so yeah."

Smiling at Ziva, Jimmy walked toward Tony, almost tripping when Ziva smiled back. "Oh my gosh, Ziva, oh geez! What happened? I've never seen that? Is it thrush, no that's black. Wow, are you feeling all right; is that contagious, should you be here?"

Tony grabbed the autopsy report out of Palmer's hands, opening the folder to read it. Ziva was puzzled at Jimmy's outburst, "Jimmy, whatever is wrong, what are you talking about?"

"Ziva, the…your…lip and um mouth, they're…you didn't know? Um well, I gotta go. Bye!" Turning tail, Jimmy nearly ran for the back elevator.

"DiNozzo! What have you done?" Ziva grabbed a small mirror from her drawer and shrieked when she saw that her lips, gums, teeth and tongue sparkling in a rather vivid shade of yellow. Now she understood why Jimmy had been so concerned, she looked like she had some deadly disease. Some highly contagious deadly disease.

She had her mouth open to threaten DiNozzo and a paperclip in her hand when the Director appeared in the Bullpen. "Anyone heard from Gibbs or McGee this morning?"

Tony was quite calm, "No sir, we were just going to start tracing their cell phones."

"Good, update me in 5 minutes. And DiNozzo, that had better be washable."

Chagrined, Tony nodded. "Agent David, as Agent DiNozzo will be handling the traces, you take your time washing that off. If you need any help, give Ms. Cook a call, she also has a preschooler and always seems to have handy rescue items." Ziva nodded and brushed past Vance on her way to the Ladies' Room.

Tony smarting at the 'preschooler' remark; vaguely remembered doing a trace the evening before and set out to trace his steps.

* * *

Tim, on the verge of waking, rubbed the firm chest underneath his head, wondering where he was. The top of him was all nice and comfy and warm, but his legs and feet were chilly and he still had his shoes on. He'd never slept with his shoes on before and when the thought registered, he opened one eye experimentally. He popped the other one open when he saw his boss's cool blue eyes watching him and a smile on that gorgeous face.

"Morning, Boss."

"Boss?"

"Oh! Not awake yet. Gib."

"That's better Timmy." Jethro moved his head down and Tim moved his head up and they had a quick kiss.

"How's your head? Still have a headache?"

"I've had worse." Gibbs chuckled at the glare he received. "That's a pretty good one Timmy? Copying me?"

"No, right now I'm channeling Ducky who is going to be really pissed at me if you have a concussion."

"I made it through the night, didn't I? And I don't think I have a concussion, the headache isn't quite right for that. How's your chest?"

"Uh, it's fine." They snorted at each other in disbelief. Gibbs looked at Tim's watch, closer than his own which was still draped across Tim's back. "It's nearly 7:30, we'd better see if we have service and call Vance."

Tim located their cells and handed one to Gibbs. "Think that's yours."

"The one time we have an excuse, Timmy." He smiled at his …whatever they were now as he called Vance. The man must have been holding his phone in his hand he answered so quickly and he seemed relieved to hear Gibbs' voice, although his cool-as- ever voice almost sounded alarmed at the words 'car spun out into a tree'. He promised to have help to them quickly and Gibbs asked them to bring coffee and food along with the medical help and a tow truck for the car. The Director thought they'd be there within an hour.

Hanging up, Leon did a quick conference set up and then called both DiNozzo and Dr. Mallard. On speaker, he told them the news and could hear someone in the background, probably Palmer, opening drawers, likely gathering medical supplies. DiNozzo was by himself, Ziva was still cleaning up; Vance ordered him to wait for her.

At the house, Gibbs and Tim were still enjoying their cuddle, wrapped in the warm blankets with the ancient heater still coughing out puffs of warm air. It had never made it to hot but the warmth it generated plus the blankets and their combined body heat had provided enough for them to survive the night without hypothermia. Now Tim reached over and snagged his 'go' bag, realizing he might have a protein bar or two in there.

Gibbs looked at the offering, "Yeah, that's good, thanks, Timmy. Don't suppose you have any coffee in there?"

Tim's eyes opened wide, "That why you have a headache? I bet you're having withdrawal symptoms, no coffee in," he looked at his watch, "over 8 hours."

Gibbs groaned, "Don't make me think about it."

Tim knew it would take the NCIS team at least another 30 minutes to get to them and judging from the lack of inquiry into their problem last night, no one else in this neighborhood would be knocking on the door. And since the curtains were closed, Tim decided to take advantage of the alone time they had left together. Tim shifted in Gibbs' arms so he was facing him and ran his fingers through the older man's hair. "You look quite sexy with bedhead."

Gibbs chuckled, "Why thank you, not looking so bad yourself, Timmy."

Tim went in for another kiss and ran his hands over the man's chest while he did so. He could feel Gib's nipples taking interest and he stopped to play with one hand, the other hand traveled south, found the morning wood and gave it a firm squeeze. Gibbs grunted in pleasure and rolled them a bit so he could return the favor. Licking and sucking a little on Tim's full lower lip, Gibbs went straight for his prize. Finding Tim also in full morning splendor he squeezed the package he couldn't wait to see, touch and taste.

Tim moaned against Gibbs' lips and thrust his hips forward when he felt his penis surrounded by a warm strong hand. Disappointed when Gibbs removed his hand, Tim pulled away from the kiss and looked up at the older man. "Why did you stop, Jethro?"

Jethro replied, "Ducky will be here soon and you know he's going to take close looks at both of us - our BP, injuries, etc. He'll be assessing whether to send us to the hospital." Tim's green eyes widened; then he blinked and leaned in for a long deep kiss.

After a few wonderful minutes of exploring each other and trying not to moan with frustration, they ended the connection. Realizing they were both still sporting erections, Tim stood and pulling Jethro up with him, headed outside. "We need to let the cold take care of our hard-ons, Jethro; otherwise we'll have some 'splainin' to do!"

"Good thought, Timmyboy...wowsa its cold out here!" After spending a very long few minutes out in the cold, they scooted back in the house, each wrapping up - separately - in a blanket.

Not long after they reentered the house they heard cars pulling up outside. "Just in the nick of time," Tim chuckled as he gave Gibbs one finally peck on the lips and walked to the front door. Opening it, he was greeted by a slew of people along with an ambulance and tow truck.

Ducky looked him up and down, scanning for any signs of obvious injuries, "Timothy, my dear boy, how are you holding up?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Tim winced as the motion caused a sharp stabbing sensation in his chest. Leading the others into the house he began, "I've been better, my legs and feet are cold, but you really need to examine Gibbs first."

Setting down his medical bags, Ducky looked around the old house, "Nonsense, Mr. Palmer is outside along with the EMTs; sit down Timothy so we can examine you."

"Ducky, really I'm fine, I don't nee..." he trailed off as he was interrupted by Gibbs. "McGee, sit down and let them do their jobs. That bruise needs to be examined." Seeing the concern in Gibbs' clouded blue eyes, Tim sighed before admitting defeat and taking a seat in the chair next to him.

As Ducky started pulling supplies out of his bag, Palmer and Tony along with the two paramedics strolled into the house. Jimmy was carrying his new doctor's bag, while Tony held two fresh cups of coffee.

After handing the beverages over to the two men, Tony's eyes scanned the room, "This place is a dump; I can't believe you two had to spend the night here. And how does someone get in two accidents in one day, Probie?"

Following a long sip of coffee, Gibbs growled and motioned for DiNozzo to step closer. Cautiously Tony knelt down in front of him, expecting Gibbs to give him instructions and was startled when he received a hard smack to the back of his head. Tim smiled as Tony rubbed the back of his head, "Hey, what was that for?"

"Asking stupid questions when I haven't had coffee for eight hours. Where else were we supposed to stay, DiNozzo? If it wasn't for McGee's quick thinking we could be dead right now."

Tim blushed at the praise he received from Gibbs then spoke, "I did what I had to do for my team. Not like you haven't taken care of me in the past. However, if we could hurry this up, I really don't want to be in this rundown house any longer than we have to."

"Very well, Timothy." Ducky responded as he stepped in front of Gibbs and motioned for Jimmy to examine Tim. As both doctors simultaneously looked over injuries, took blood pressures and temperatures; Tony filled them in on the case.

"That number you sent me last night Probie, was for a remote building in Fort Valley, Virginia. It's about two hours west of here. Because of the snow storm and Vance's orders Ziva and I were not able to go last night."

It wasn't until Tony mentioned Ziva's name that Gibbs noticed one of his team members was missing. Scanning the room he asked, "Where is Zeever anyways?"

"She's outside with Director Vance and the tow truck driver taking care of the car. You really did a number on it, Boss!"

At the look on Gibbs' face, DiNozzo gulped and said, "I'm just going to go check in with them." and the SFA hurried back out into the cold.

While Tony was updating Gibbs, Ducky and Jimmy were having a quick conference.

"Dr. Palmer, how are you finding Timothy?"

"His BP is elevated slightly, Dr. Mallard, and the bruise to his sternum is causing him pain. I would recommend a day or two of rest, no field work. And how is Agent Gibbs?"

"It appears Jethro is a little worse for wear. In addition to this cut on his forehead he has a sprained wrist and bruised foot. His BP is also elevated but his temperature is normal. Hmm, Dr. Palmer, what was Timothy's temperature?"

"He is running a slight fever, Doctor, its 99.9"

"Yes, well then, I agree with your assessment to allow these two a few days of rest to recover."

"Duck, I'm fine, I don't need to stay home, we have a case, a murdered marine; I can't just 'stay home'!"

While Gibbs was talking, his mind was racing through the possibilities of staying home with Timmy. They could recover all right; after they made sure they had something to recover from. He thought of taking it easy in Tim's arms, kissing those lips and discovering more about each other, different ways to pleasure each other.

Tim started to stand up until he was pushed back down by Palmer, "This is ridiculous! I feel fine! After a hot shower and a change of clothes I'm perfectly capable of returning to work." However, he thought, as he looked over at Gibbs, a hot shower with him would be even better than returning to work.

Both men continued to protest until a high pitched whistle permeated their ear drums, knocking the sexual thoughts out of their heads as Ducky stood in front of them with his hands on his hips examining the ancient heater. "How on earth did you manage to keep your body temperatures consistent throughout the night?"

"Duck, for Pete's sake, we've been trained in how to avoid hypothermia and we're not teenagers. We had the blankets and when the heater didn't work all that well, we shared body heat."

Tim nodded, yes, that was the truth of it.

Ducky looked at his friend and then at the young agent, who was gathering up their cell phones and putting his go bag back together. Of course, they were well trained and he had given Timothy some pointers after a particular poignant case recently where a Marine died of hypothermia, having forgotten his training. While he pondered, Jimmy was putting his instruments back in his bag and so both men missed the heated glance between Tim and Gibbs.

Ducky let the question go, the important thing was both men only had relatively minor injuries and would be fine with a few days rest. Just as he was dismissing the paramedics, Vance, Tony and Ziva entered the house for a sit rep regarding the two men's conditions. When Ziva smiled at Gibbs, he squinted, thinking part of one of her teeth was bright yellow. Gibbs shook his head, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him or if he really needed to be examined further.

Frowning, he looked up to see Leon approaching, "You noticed? That was…" Gibbs put up his hand. "No need, Leon. Only one person would be stupid enough to do that to a trained assassin. DINOZZO, OUTSIDE NOW! "

Tony blushed and his shoulders slumped as he headed outside with Gibbs hot on his heels. Cringing when he heard the door slam behind him, he slowly turned around to face Gibbs. Having a hard time making eye contact with the older man, he kept his gaze on his shoes until Gibbs grabbed his chin and tilted it up.

"What were you thinking, DiNozzo? You're my senior field agent; the one I trust is going to be doing his job when I'm not around. This little prank shows me that maybe I haven't made the right choice. You need to stop acting like a five year old and start acting like a man. You're supposed to be setting a good example for everyone. Can I trust that you're going to do that from now on?"

Looking into Gibbs' eyes, Tony realized it wasn't anger but disappointment that his boss was feeling towards him. He straightened his posture and looked his mentor straight in the eye. "You can count on me, Boss. I got it."

Seeing the remorse in Tony's eyes, Gibbs continued, "Good because I'm going to give you a second chance. Ducky wants Tim and me to work from home the next few days. I want you to take Ziva and head to Fort Valley to follow up on that lead. That something you think you can handle without the two of you killing each other?"

"Yes Boss, of course we can."

Poking his head in the door, Gibbs motioned for the rest of the team to come outside so they could discuss the plans for the rest of the case. When the others exited the house, Ducky pointed to Gibbs, "Jethro, you have no business being outside, it's still too cold and you're supposed to be recovering."

Gibbs opened his mouth to argue but noticed Vance standing there, one eyebrow quirked. He didn't need his boss in on this. "Ok, Tim, got everything?"

"Yeah Boss."

"DiNozzo, you drive and we'll plan."

"Jethro, I said you two needed to go home to recover."

"We are, Duck, but we're not dead or on bed rest, we can work from home, right?"

Ducky sighed. "Yes, that will be acceptable."

"Good. Now, my car is at the office, Tim's is in the repair shop, so we need to go to NCIS to get my car."

"Oh, pardon, I had forgotten about Timothy's car."

"All right, folks, let's get back to work." Gibbs, rolling his eyes at his boss, herded his group back to the Agency sedans. Ducky and Jimmy had ridden over with Vance, they took off with him while the others climbed into the other sedan.

Arriving back aboard the yard, armed with their marching orders, Tony and Ziva headed back into the office while Gibbs and Tim went to find the car. As they were loading the bags into the trunk, a car containing Abby and her brother Kyle stopped and honked to get their attention.

"Hey, Abs! Where you going?"

"Gibbs! I hope you didn't forget; Kyle is taking me skiing for a long weekend!"

Relieved there would be no Abby around to interfere with their budding romance, he waved his hand, "Go! Have a good time and be careful!"

"We will!" She squealed as Kyle waved and stepped on the gas.

* * *

The two men climbed into the muscle car and sat, grinning at each other. Tim finally broke their smile fest.

"We'd better get going before Ducky thinks about checking up on us!"

"Ok, Timmy. Your place ok? Was thinking, with that king sized bed and your internet connections and all, makes sense. Plus no one will just walk in."

"Yeah, Gib, that sounds good."

They left the Navy Yard and got partway to Tim's when he suddenly said, "Um, don't we need...things?"

"Things? Oh, yeah, we do."

"There's a Target in the next block and a Costco in the same center. Why don't we park and split up? I have my Costco card, so I'll go in and buy condoms. You can go to Target and buy the lube."

Gibbs grinned at him, "Guess that means..."

"You know we're heading that way, Jethro, don't want to get all revved up and not have what we need."

"Ok Timmy." Pulling into the lot, Gibbs dropped Tim off at Costco while he drove down to the Target at the other end of the lot.

Tim grabbed a shopping cart, got what he needed – and then some, and decided to swing by to look for a new 'go' bag, since he'd just noticed at the house that his was ripped pretty badly, must have happened in the first accident yesterday. He tried to focus on that for a second but really his mind is on only one thing, Leroy Jethro Gibbs and the fact that they've seen, they've touched, they've tasted, now there will be more – doing what men do together. His cock is very happy with that and he's glad he has his baggy overcoat on. Spotting Gibbs' car out front with the trunk open, no one could miss that car, he exited the store and stowed his purchases away, then got in the car, trying not to squirm.

Finishing his shopping, Gibbs drove back down to Costco and waited for Tim. Smiling as he undressed the young man with his eyes; Tim's hips swung back and forth as he lugged a bag out to the car and threw it in the trunk. His heart rate increased at the thought of finally seeing Tim in all his naked glory.

As Gibbs drove, Tim suddenly realized he needed to check in with his dogwalker. _Hmm, maybe she could keep him until tomorrow_. A few texts back and forth and Jethro would remain at his home away from home one more night.

When they pulled into Tim's apartment complex, both men excitedly grabbed their purchases and made the journey up the three flights of stairs. Tim fumbled with the keys as Gibbs stood behind him and whispered sweet nothings into his ear. Finally the key disengaged the lock and the two of them nearly tumbled into the apartment.

Tim grabbed Jethro to keep his balance and found himself wrapped in a pair of strong arms; they spun and Jethro found himself with his back against the wall, his Timmy looking at him as if he were a treat to be devoured. He tugged Tim closer as the taller man bent, and cradling Jethro's head in his hands, kissed him deeply. Both moaned in pleasure and relief, not having been able to physically connect since NCIS had rolled to the house two hours earlier.

As they continued kissing, Gibbs began to explore Tim's body with his hands. Running them gently over his chest, careful to avoid the nasty bruise, he tweaked each nipple then followed the line of hair down to Tim's most prized possession. After quickly unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his pants, Gibbs stuck his hand down the front of Tim's pants and gently squeezed his cock. With a limited range of motion, he was still able to cradle Tim's balls between two fingers and roll them in his hand savoring the closeness of such an intimate act between the two of them. Tim moaned when he felt Gibbs' warm hand suddenly wrap around his cock and balls. Although he was enjoying the intimacy, he also felt a hint of awkwardness at the thought and feel of another man touching his family jewels.

Putting his hand on Jethro's face, he gave a little squeeze. "Gib, can we stop for a minute. That felt good but weird, just...never had another man touch me like that before. And I want to do the same thing to you, but kind of feeling like we need to figure some stuff out first."

Resting his forehead against Tim's, Gibbs gave a breathy laugh, "Sorry, Timmy it's just you bring out this side of me that I haven't seen in a very long time. Feel like discussing it over coffee?"

Tim nodded, still a little breathless, "Yeah, coffee would be good." They moved away from the wall, putting themselves back together, and headed for the kitchen. Tim got the coffeemaker going while Gibbs watched him move around the kitchen. He had to admit he was greatly admiring Tim's backside. He wasn't sure he knew what to do about it but he felt the urge to touch. Tim, feeling Gib's hot gaze on his ass, felt himself blushing. He turned and leaned against the counter and looked, just drank in the sight of his lover, all hot and bothered. Laughing a little, he walked forward toward Jethro, "Guess we should actually talk. All I really want to do is tear your clothes off, lick you all over, feel you on me and then have our ways with each other. But," and he looked the man directly in the eye, "I don't know what "way" we're having each other!" The coffeemaker sighed as it released the brew into the pot and Tim poured them each a mug. Gesturing, they each took a stool at the counter.

Simultaneously taking a sip of the fresh brew they sighed as the nectar caressed their dry mouths. They stared at each other, neither knowing how to begin the conversation. Putting his hand on Tim's knee, Gibbs began, "Obviously both of us have never had a sexual experience with another man before. It's going to take time for us to get to know one another's likes and dislikes. Yes, it will probably be awkward at first, but I'm willing to take it as slow as you want."

Tim's shoulders sagged in relief, "I agree, it's going to be a different change of pace for both of us. Figuring out what goes where and what feels good." He hesitated for a moment then continued, "The internet is always full of good advice; we could do some research and find some tips on how to get started."

Gibbs agreed and Tim hopped online, accessing his favorite search engine. When the page of results displayed, he showed Jethro and together the two of them picked one of the sites. They found a site that had animation and tips of how to get started. When Gibbs' eyes nearly popped out at the animated figures having sex in various positions, Tim reached out and shut the man's mouth, then scrolled down to the text on the page. Gibbs refocused and looked at the screen, although his hand was having a good time on Timmy's thigh. As they read together, they noticed nearly the first thing mentioned was lube and condoms. "Good, we did good with that, Jethro!" Both men leaped up and grabbed the bags with their purchases, Tim's still in his new 'go' bag.

When each man looked up they realized both of them had bought the biggest tube of lube they could find along with what appeared to be the largest box of condoms available for purchase. Laughing at their identical goodies seemed to break the ice more than anything they had talked about in the last thirty minutes. Picking up Tim's box of 100 count condoms, Gibbs cocked one eyebrow, "That's a lot of condoms, Timmy. You think we'll go through them all in the next few days?"

Tim slapped him on the knee, "Well there are a lot of positions on the website for us to try, Jethro." Shrugging his shoulders while biting down on his bottom lip with a glint in his eye, he continued, "If I'm feeling generous, we'll go through them all this weekend."

Picking up a tube of lube, Gibbs popped the cap and squeezed some onto his finger, "I can't wait until I get to stick this" he motioned to the computer screen, "up somewhere that's never been touched before."

Both men laughed and Gibbs looked over at his young man. "We'll figure it out, Tim, just need to keep our senses of humor and let each other know if something doesn't work."

Tim nodded as he leaned in for a quick kiss, "You're right, Jethro."

They turned back to the screen, both feeling more comfortable. The next tip they saw for getting started mentioned getting to know each other's body and recommended undressing each other as a great way to start. Grinning at each other, they got up from the stools and stood. Jethro reached out and tapped Tim on the knee. He raised his leg, balancing by holding onto Gibbs' shoulders. Gibbs slowly removed his shoe and sock, running his hand roughly over Tim's foot and ankle, up his calf. Tim squirmed as he had ticklish feet, but smiled at Gibbs to keep going. Changing legs, Jethro removed the other shoe and sock and this time, gently removing Tim's hands from his shoulders, he knelt down to take Tim's big toe into his mouth and suckled it. This elicited a surprised and pleasured moan from the young man. Dropping his foot, Gibbs rose and motioned to Tim to turn around. He started pulling his shirt up, stopping to kiss and nip at his back. Sleeves came next; Tim had never before thought of sleeves as being in any way sensual but Gibbs made them so. When Gibbs turned him around again and kissed him sweetly, reaching for his waist, Tim stopped him, "No, Jethro, my turn."

Seeing the arousal in Tim's eyes, Gibbs couldn't wait until the younger man's hands were all over him. Using Tim's shoulders to balance, he lifted his right leg, allowing Tim to untie his boot and gently slip it off. Already knowing the older man was ticklish; Tim removed his sock then using his fingernails, lightly stroked the bottom of Gibbs' foot. Gibbs laughed and pulled his foot back, "You did that on purpose!" He growled, leaning in for a kiss.

Tim pulled back, "Yes, yes I did." After removing Gibbs' injured foot from the boot and sock, Tim gently massaged the bruise with his thumb then sucked and nipped on the injured area as Gibbs threw his head back in pleasure. Following a careful examination of the injured limb, Tim gently placed it back on the floor and motioned for Gibbs to raise his arms up in the air. Not wasting any time, Gibbs followed orders and sighed as Tim ran his hands through the older man's chest hair in the midst of removing his shirt. Once it was completely removed, Tim stepped closer and tweaked both of Gibbs nipples.

Smiling when he was rewarded with a deep moan he leaned down and took the right nipple in his mouth, coating it with saliva and swirling his tongue in a clockwise motion. Repeating the same process on the left nipple, Tim gasped when he felt Gibbs' erect cock rub against his thigh. Reaching for it, he gave the denim clad bulge a loving squeeze. Moving his hands to Jethro's waist, he ever so slowly stroked the waistband and then down the fly, again stroking and patting Jethro's erection. Gibbs hissed and Tim grinned, returning for a quick kiss. "Ok, I'll stop teasing." Reaching down with his long fingers, he unfastened the jeans and then eased them carefully over the distended shaft. He only took the jeans to his hips and then went back for his boxers, Gibbs watching him through hooded eyes. When the boxers were tugged down, Jethro's cock bounced up against his belly.

Tim touched the tip with the tip of his middle finger, scooping up a drop of pre-cum and rubbing it between his finger and thumb. When Jethro looked at him, Tim licked the drop of cum off his finger. Then returning to the pants and boxers, he tugged them down to the floor, tapping first one leg then the other for Gibbs to lift as the pants were removed.

Before he stood up again, Tim rubbed his hand up the inside of Gibbs' right side, up his calf and inner thigh, then cupping his balls and giving another touch to the head of his penis, moving back down the left side of his body. Gibbs shivered and whined a little. "Timmy, you need to stop or go faster, I can't hold on if you keep touching me."

Tim chuckled at Gibbs' request, straightened himself out and took a step back. "Are you going to keep whining?" He said, looking down at his own bulge. "Or are you going to get to work?

Gibbs growled as he took a step forward, his hands shaking with anticipation as he fumbled with Tim's belt buckle. Finally getting it undone, he dropped to his knees and undid the button. Taking the zipper in his hand he guided it towards his teeth and clamped down. Tilting his head down he was able to carefully move the zipper while enjoying his new lovers scent. Putting both hands on Tim's hips he gently guided Tim's pants over his hips and down to the floor. Tapping Tim on the leg, the younger man stepped out as Gibbs threw the jeans to the side. Sticking his index finger inside the elastic of the boxers, he pulled back freeing Tim's cock from the confines of fabric.

Licking his lips he slid the boxers down to Tim's ankles and for a moment sat to admire the thick cock in front of him. Gently cupping Tim's balls he rolled them between his fingers, savoring the moans from his lover. Moving upward he ran his thumb along the underside of the cock and swiped it across the weeping head. Much like Tim had done for him; he made eye contact then seductively licked it off his finger. "Ooh you taste good, Timmy." Tim's legs trembled as he gasped for air, "Jethro, let's move somewhere more comfortable. I have the perfect idea." Nodding, Gibbs took Tim's hand and allowed him to lead him.

Tim headed for the shower, having realized both needed to be squeaky clean inside and out, or so the website advised. He stopped inside the bathroom door and wrapping his arms around his lover's waist, ran his hands over his tight ass. "Shower, Jethro, we need to clean up so we can get dirty!"


	6. Chapter 6

_He stopped inside the bathroom door and wrapping his arms around his lover's waist, ran his hands over his tight ass.  
"Shower, Jethro, we need to clean up so we can get dirty."_

With Tim's hands firmly planted on his ass, Gibbs reached over and turned the faucet handle. As they waited for the water to heat up, Tim continued stroking his ass while the older man nibbled on his neck. Quickly turned on by each other's actions they didn't realize the water had become warm enough until a puff of steam clouded their vision. Tim laughed, "For a moment I thought it was the two of us causing all this steam. I completely forgot the shower was on."

Gibbs tugged Tim into the shower and replied by licking his ear and Tim giggled as it tickled. "We need to clean with soap, washcloths and water, Jethro!" Gibbs grinned, grabbed the washcloth and soap and slowly, carefully, washed Tim's ear, then dragged the cloth behind his ear, around the back of his head to the other ear. He washed that one and behind it, then moved to Tim's neck, first washing his neck with his tongue then washing it again with the soap and cloth. Tim moaned, he was so turned on; he was never going to make it through this shower if Jethro kept this up.

Itching at the opportunity to repay the favor, Tim grabbed a second washcloth and lathered it up. Running his tongue down Gibbs' chest he stopped at each nipple, took it into his mouth and sucked. Satisfied by the moans coming from his lover, he continued licking and stopped when he came to his penis. Looking up, he winked when he saw the disappointment in Gibbs' eyes. "Don't worry, Gib. There will be plenty of time to explore later." Standing up he squeezed a little more soap on the washcloth and began washing his chest.

Gibbs groaned, "Timmy…you tease!" Tim laughed and Gibbs grabbed him, turning him so that his face was to the shower wall. Jethro licked a line down his back, following his spine, then stopped and used his finger to trace down between Tim's butt cheeks. Tim moaned and Gibbs laughed at him, "Payback's a bitch, sweet cheeks!" as he gave Tim a swat on his ass and then taking the wash cloth, quickly washed his back; then bending Tim slightly, washed the creases between his thighs and his ass. Tim was starting to squirm so Gibbs gave him a quick kiss and moved down his legs and feet, keeping the touch firmer, more wash than touch. As Jethro quickly stood up, Tim turned around and their bodies collided. The force caused an unbalanced Tim to reach back and grab the faucet handle for support. In doing so, the handle turned towards the cold water, immediately causing a temperature change. They both yelped as ice cold water rained down upon them. Fumbling with the handle, Tim was finally able to turn it back to the hot side but not before their manhood had experienced significant shrinkage. Pulling Tim close, Gibbs ran his hand down his back, "Well that's one way to cool off."

Tim snorted into Jethro's shoulder, giving another surprised yelp when his lover found his entrance and rubbed around it. Jethro whispered into his ear, "Remember, we have to be clean, inside and out! Got to relax you, Timmy, so I can get in there to wash." Tim nodded and relaxed as Jethro carefully used the washcloth on his penis, scrotum and perineum, then even more carefully using it around his hole.

When Jethro tapped his legs, he spread them further. Reaching down and grabbing his lover's hand, he said, "It'll be easier for you if I turn around and bend over, Jethro; just remember, you're up next!" He kissed his lover's hand as he turned around again, bending over, and thrusting his backside out for Jethro's ministrations. Using one finger, Gibbs resumed rubbing Tim's hole, then risked inserting it to his knuckle. Tim twitched, then relaxed. "That hurt, Timmy?"

"It burned a little bit at first, but it's good now."

Reaching up and kissing the back of his lover's neck, Gibbs then returned to his task, rubbing one finger inside Tim. It felt hot and tight and Jethro could feel his own body responding. Once he felt Tim was comfortable with one finger he placed his hand on his back and prepared to add a second finger.

"Timmy, based on the website I need to stretch you more. I'm going to add another finger, let me know if I'm hurting you." Showing complete trust in his lover, Tim spread his legs and bent over further. Leaning down Jethro kissed his back, "I'm going to take good care of you, Timmy." Feeling Tim clamp down tighter on his finger, Jethro began stroking his back, hoping the action would allow him to relax. Slowly he inserted a second finger and steadied Tim as he gasped at the awkwardness of two fingers. Allowing Tim time to adjust to the intruder he continued stroking his back. Once the clamp on his fingers began to loosen he used a scissoring motion to open him up even further. Gibbs felt that Timmy was relaxed enough for him to proceed with the washing, which he did, using a gentle touch. When he was done, he leaned over and gave a soft kiss to Tim's backside. "There you go, Timmy love, all clean inside and out."

Tim chuckled, "Good job, Jethro, I hope I can be just as gentle, thorough and sexy as you've been. I'm all relaxed, feel very 'open' to what comes next. Here, let me finish washing your front, then I'll turn you around." He drew his soapy washcloth down Gibbs chest and abdomen. He leaned in and kissed his man while he washed out his belly button, then continued down to his pubic hair.

Washing along his inner thighs, he finally picked up Jethro's half-hard- again cock and gently washed the glans, the shaft and the base. After rinsing him thoroughly, he moved to his lover's scrotum and gently washed that, feeling Jethro tremble with pleasure. After he'd applied the soapy suds to his perineum and rinsed it, he went up for a kiss, then turned his man face to the wall. Jethro leaned over and thrust his ass out, legs wide, giving Tim's long fingers plenty of access. First soaping up his index finger, he circled his lover's rim, or entrance, several times until he felt him relax a bit. Then, following his lover's actions with him, he rubbed circles on Jethro's back while he slowly pushed one finger into his hole.

"Tell me, how is it?"

"You're right, it burns at first but I'm ok now."

"All right, good." He moved his finger around a bit and then slowly removed it to return with two fingers. Jethro gasped and Tim held still until his lover nodded, then completed his two-fingered entrance. Once he felt Jethro relax a little more, he gently washed him and then maneuvered his hand around front and gave his penis a good squeeze. His man grunted in pleasure as Tim turned and reached for the faucet and turned the water off. Gibbs grabbed a towel and quickly dried them off.

"Jethro?"

"Yeah, Timmy?"

"I want you inside me first."

"You sure?"

"Very sure. C'mon." Tim grabbed Jethro's hand, eagerly heading for the bedroom.

Reaching the bedroom, Tim began pulling back the covers on the bed while Gibbs tore open the box of condoms and grabbed the lube. By the time he finished collecting the supplies, Tim was sprawled out in the middle of the bed. His legs were open allowing Gibbs space to crawl up between them and settle in. His heart rate increased as he looked down at the gorgeous man in front of him. Finally, he was going to get to touch, taste and become one with Tim. He leaned over the length of his man and kissed him, an "open mouth, tongue in I'm about to fuck you" kiss. Sitting back on his haunches after the kiss, he took another long look at his lover. Leaning forward a bit, he licked the tip of Tim's erect cock, then placing one hand around the base, he moved his tongue down the underside. Tim moaned, grabbing Jethro's hair and pulling him back down, "Do that again, please!" Jethro applied another lick and then sitting up, popped the top on the lube and started coating his fingers. First licking Tim's balls and perineum, he then inserted a finger in his hole. Tim was still stretched from his wash, so he gave him two fingers and then worked the muscles open more with scissoring motions. Searching around inside Tim, he found the little bump that was his prostate and touched it.

Tim nearly bucked off the bed and let Jethro know he could do that anytime. Jethro inserted a third finger, waited until Tim nodded his readiness and played with him some more. With his other hand, he continued to stroke Tim's penis, balls and perineum. They'd decided on their first position and now he helped Timmy bend and move his legs up so he could have full access and they could be face to face. Each of them wanted to watch the other while they fucked. Timmy was ready, now he watched with hooded eyes as his lover lubed his sheathed cock. Jethro lined his shaft up with Tim's hole and then pushed in, carefully and as gently as he could. Tim tensed a bit but then relaxed, trusting his lover and becoming accustomed to the large shaft. Jethro had to hold back from thrusting, his cock was in a tight hot place and he felt an almost overwhelming urge to move. When Tim nodded, Jethro pushed in a little deeper and then finally was in, balls deep. He groaned in pleasure as he thrust into his Timmy, reaching up with one hand and resuming his play with Tim's penis. The two rocked in pleasure, Tim trying to fuck himself as far as possible on Jethro's cock.

The sound of groans and skin slapping together permeated the room as the two finally found a rhythm which allowed them both as much pleasure as possible. Occasionally, Jethro would change angles, hitting Tim's prostate, which in turn would cause him to rock even harder.

"Jethroooooo I'm get...getting close!" Tim stuttered as Jethro continued to stroke his penis while thrusting into him.

Grunting as their sweaty bodies moved as one, Jethro gasped, "Me too, Timmy."

Knowing the end was near, Jethro changed his angle again, repeatedly striking Tim's prostate with each thrust. He couldn't help but smile as he looked down to see Tim's eyes roll back into his head as he started babbling uncontrollably.

Tim felt a welling of pressure from deep within followed by a tingling sensation radiating out from his scrotum. Gasping for air as a series of uncontrolled muscle contractions racked his body he loosely wrapped his arms around Jethro's neck and held on for dear life. Following a couple more lightning fast thrusts by his lover, Tim's back arched off the bed and he screamed as his penis convulsed back and forth, spurting a load of hot cum all over Jethro's chest.

The moans of his lover, the hot cum dripping off his chest and his cock sliding through Tim's hot channel was all it took to allow Jethro to follow Tim over the edge. As his body quivered and his cock contracted he released his hold on Tim's cock and intertwined their fingers together. Giving one final thrust into Tim he groaned as his penis erupted, filling the condom with cum. Shuddering through the tremors, his arms gave way and he collapsed on top of Tim. They both lay there gasping for air as each of their bodies continued to twitch. After a moment of rest, Jethro rolled over to the side as he continued to catch his breath. Propping himself up and reaching over, Tim used his fingertips to spread his cum throughout Jethro's chest hairs. Looking down at his lover through clouded eyes he whispered, "Told you we were going to have to get clean before we could get dirty, Jethro."

* * *

Tony made a disgruntled noise in his throat as the snow began to fall in thicker drifts. It was getting harder for the wipers to keep up and the roads were getting slicker and slicker. Ziva looked out the side, "It is getting worse, Tony, perhaps we should find a place to stay until it has stopped."

"Where do you suggest we stay? We're out in the middle of nowhere. I can hear the banjos playing."

Ziva shot him a confused look, "Banjos playing?"

"Never mind," Tony laughed as he turned his attention back to the road. Ziva was right though, the snow was falling harder and he would rather be stuck in a cheap motel than a tiny car. Passing a sign that said five miles to the next town, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they weren't that far from civilization.

Those five miles felt more like twenty as they crept along on the snowy road, quickly approaching the speed of snails. Finally they saw a neon sign in the distance. As they inched closer, they saw it was a motel sign, with Vacancies, or so the sign said. One of the letters in the name of the motel was dark but looking at it Ziva could see it must be the "Bates Motel". Fine, it was not part of a chain; they could live through one night, she was cold and really just wanted a hot shower. She was thankful she had thrown her go bag in the trunk of the agency sedan, just in case. Tony had started to mock her and then changed his mind and fetched his as well.

Tony took no notice of the name of the motel as he turned the wheel and the car slid sideways into the lot. They parked where the car stopped, more or less facing the front of the place, and carefully climbed out into the snow. He was glad Ziva normally wore 'sensible' shoes to work, although she had ballerina style flats on, they weren't going to last long. Shaking his head, he approached his partner and said, "Don't kill me for this, I'm trying to save your shoes." as he lifted her up and carried her to the door of the motel office. He then trudged back to the trunk of the car and removing their 'go' bags, carried them to the office as well. Ziva was still sputtering, but just this once he ignored her as he held the door open.

The inside of the lobby was rundown, smelled of mold and in serious need of a new paint job. Looking around, Tony joked, "This place is just as nice as where Gibbs and Probie stayed last night."

Rolling her eyes, Ziva rang the bell for service and was startled when a young man appeared out of nowhere.

"Welcome to the Bates Motel, you two in need of rooms?"

"Yes, we will need two..." Ziva trailed off as Tony interrupted her, "Did you say welcome to the Bates Motel?" Looking back at her partner, Ziva saw a flash of sheer terror on Tony's face. She was just about to ask what was wrong when the clerk spoke up, "Don't worry, sir we get that reaction all the time. I assure you this is nothing like the real Bates Motel."

Just then a gust of wind blew open the front door causing Tony to jump back and grab his chest.

Confused at her partners behavior, Ziva stepped over and closed the door, "What is it, Tony? I have never witnessed you this jumpy."

Tony concentrated on just breathing for a minute. "Psycho, Ziva?" She frowned angrily, "Tony, that was uncalled for, why would you call me psycho?" He shook his head, "Psycho the movie, Ziva, the movie. The motel is called the Bates motel."

"Oh, well I am glad you do not consider me a psycho. What happens in this movie?" The clerk interrupted them, "Excuse me, would you like one room or two?"

"One!" "Two." Tony and Ziva spoke simultaneously. They looked at each other, exasperated.

Tony spoke first, "No way am I staying by myself tonight. I need my ninja warrior close by."

She shook her head; he really had lost his mind. "I really just want a hot shower and a quiet evening Tony; if you can promise me that, one room will be fine."

"One room it is. If you'll just sign here…" the clerk looked down as Tony started to sign 'Anthony' "oh now really sir, don't you think that's carrying it a little too far?"

Tony looked up confused, then got it and laughed, "No, Anthony is really my name, see?" He held out his driver's license.

"Oh I beg your pardon Mr. DiNozzo. It's just people do the strangest things when they see the name of the motel. And to think it's a fifty year old movie! Anyway, here are your room keys. There's a café next door but I don't know how long they'll stay open with this storm. I could call if you'd like. Also, there is a coffeemaker in the room and checkout is at 10 AM."

"Thanks, yeah, if you would call the café, that'd be great."

"Fine, I'll call you when I get an answer."

The two Agents picked up their bags and started for the front door, thinking that with most motels, the rooms are on the outside. The clerk stopped them, "Oh you don't have to go back outside to get to your rooms. Just head down that corridor, here let me switch a light on for you there… your room will be on the left."

Nodding at the man, they headed down the now dimly lit corridor, finally finding their room. There were no noises, no sign of any other human occupants and Tony couldn't remember if there were other cars in the lot. When his hand actually shook trying to open the door, Ziva, seriously concerned by his behavior, gently brushed his hand to the side and used her own key to open the door. Flicking the light switch, the room appeared before them out of the gloom.

"Huh," Ziva grunted as she took in the room. A small bathroom was off to the right side while two double beds with outdated comforters took up one wall. The other wall contained a small dresser with an old television set resting on top of it.

"Well it is not the best, but it is better than to be stranded on the side of the road, do you not agree?"

When she didn't get a response she turned around to find Tony still standing at the entryway of the room.

Dropping her bag on the bed she walked over to the door, "You watch too many movies."

His hands still trembling, Tony shook his head, "No...no...I don't there's just something about this place that has me freaked out."

"There is nothing wrong with this motel. Would you rather stay in the car all night?"

Nodding, Tony replied, "Yes, I think I would rather freeze to death than stay here. See ya!" As he turned to walk out the door, Ziva grabbed his arm, pulled him back into the room and closed the door. "Do not worry, Tony I will protect you. And if I am feeling generous you may get to help me wash my back."

Tony perked up upon hearing Ziva's declaration, "Really?"

Running her hand down the side of his face, she said, "You will have to stay and find out. Listen, we should clean up and see if that cafe is open, I could certainly use something to eat."

"Me too, I can always eat. I'll call Gibbs and let him know that we had to stop for the night while you go get ready."

Ziva disappeared into the bathroom and Tony took his Sig out of the holster and kept it in his hand, checking the door to make sure it was locked. Reassured, although the lock looked pretty flimsy and the door looked like a good wind would knock it down, he called Gibbs. He frowned as the phone rang several times but finally the Boss picked up. "DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, Boss, took you long enough, you ok? You sound kind of out of breath."

"Uh, I was…uh DOwn…STAIRS, forgot the phone. You there yet?"

Tony looked at the phone, swearing he could have heard someone in the background. _Oh well, TV must be on_. "No Boss, we had to pull off the road, too much snow; we found a motel, it's called The Bates Motel, can you believe that?"

"No…OH, no Tony. So… fiNISH the …TRIp tomoRRow?" Tony frowned, _why was Boss talking so funny?_ _Like he was out of breath and then almost yelling? Oh well, who knew what he got up to._

"Yeah Boss, we'll head out as soon as the roads are plowed. We're just going to grab some dinner at the little café next door. "

"Ok…T TtONy, check in WHEN YOU get there."

The call ended and Tony tucked his phone back in his pocket. "Oh sweet cheeks, you ready yet?" Ooh, he forgot to call the front desk, find out about the café. Ziva answered, something he couldn't understand as he grabbed the phone in the room and called.

"Yes, Mr. DiNozzo, the café is still open for another hour. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, that's fine…well snow boots, but I guess that's not part of the "if you forgot anything" deal, right?"

"No, afraid not. Enjoy your stay at the Bates Motel." Tony shivered again in fright as he hung up. _Freaking place, he hated it._

Ziva emerged fully dressed from the bathroom and crossed to her bag to pull out a pair of thick socks, a pair of snow boots and a parka. _Hey, how'd she know to bring those? Oh well, he had his newish crime scene boots with him, they'd have to do. _

She looked at him, "Tony, did you speak with Gibbs? "

"Yes I did, he was doing some weird breathing and yelling thing; he told us to check in when we get there tomorrow."

Ziva thought, _breathing and yelling?_ She remembered a very silly movie Tony had convinced her to watch recently, _Airplane? No, Academy, oh yes, Police Academy. The most memorable scene was a man giving a speech, leaning on a podium and being given oral sex by someone hidden in the podium. _ As she remembered, the man was breathing hard and then would yell his words as he was given the blow job. _Hmm, wonder who Gibbs is seeing_? She decided to keep quiet, let the man have his privacy, certainly keep Tony's nose out of it. Zipping up her boots, she grabbed her parka, "Are you ready Tony?"

Throwing his phone down on the bed next to him, Gibbs groaned as Tim slipped his cock out of his mouth with a pop.

Gasping for air, Gibbs asked, "Why did you stop, Timmy?"

Tim batted his eyes, picked up the discarded cock and began stroking it, "What did Tony want?"

Grunting as Tim continued a circular pattern across the head of his penis with his finger he replied, "Stuck...snowstorm...want...my...cock...in...your. ..mouth."

"Bossy!" Tim laughed as he blew on the tip of the penis, the sensation causing Jethro to throw his head back in delight. Reinserting the thick head back into his mouth, Tim ran his tongue along the split on the underside of his penis and wrapped his hand around the shaft. Twisting his head from side to side he moved his hand gently up and down the shaft.

Jethro thrust his hips upwards, shoving his cock further into Tim's mouth. Almost gagging, Tim slapped him on the thigh and gave his lover an exasperated look.

"Sorry Timmy. It's just you give a damn good blow job for this being your first time."

Tim gave him an extra lick along the split and Jethro nearly knocked them both off the bed with his arching and bucking. Leaving one hand on Jethro's shaft, the older man started to protest when Tim removed his mouth from his cock. "Timmy, it was just getting good! What are you..."

"OH"

"OH"

Jethro moaned as Tim used his free hand to grab Jethro's scrotum and gently pull it down. As the testicles came together, Tim leaned down and drew both balls into his mouth. Using the same circular technique as he had on his cock it wasn't long until he felt his lover's balls tighten and he knew he was close. Quickly moving back up to Jethro's cock he increased the circling motion and included some slow licks along all his hot points. Jethro finally let loose, calling out Tim's name as he spurted a long streak of cum into his lover's awaiting mouth. Overwhelmed by the bitterness and amount, Tim had no other choice but to swallow. Trying not to gag at the new experience, he was finally able to swallow everything before releasing Jethro's cock and looking into his lover's eyes.

"I'm proud of you, Timmy. I can't imagine that's an easy task to accomplish for a beginner."

Tim snorted, "Nope and I can't wait to watch you try!"

Opening his arms he motioned for Tim to join him. Quickly getting into position, Tim rested his head on Jethro's shoulder and yawned. Laying a kiss to the top of Tim's head, he mumbled, "Sleep, Timmy. Tomorrow I will return the favor."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to the readers from whom we have heard, would love to hear from others too! We know we love this story, how about you?


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning the snow had stopped, allowing Tony and Ziva to continue on their way. While Ziva handled the check out, Tony loaded up the bags and shivered as he gave one last look at the Bates Motel. As he closed the trunk, Ziva came out the office door and ran the few steps to the car.

"I am so cold and tired. I cannot believe what a baby you have been about this, Tony."

"You're mad at me because I was scared? Ziva if you'd ever seen that movie, you would have been scared too."

"Tony, you kept me awake all night. How are we supposed to do our jobs when we have both been up all night – because you are such a baby." She made a rude sound. "It is no matter, what is done is done. Why are we still sitting here? Turn the heater up and get back on the road! I want to be warm again."

Tony scoffed as he turned the heater to high, "Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I don't know why you're complaining about not getting any sleep; we do it all the time. Personally I'm used to it."

"To wake up on the wrong side of the bed, someone must fall asleep first, Tony!"

"Well I'm sorry Zeevah, how about I buy you a cup of coffee at the cafe before we get going. It will warm up."

"No! I do not wish to get a cup of coffee. Now drive before I dump you out in the snow and take over driving myself!"

Tony put the car in gear and drove off onto the plowed road. They reached the highway and resumed their drive to Fort Valley. Neither spoke; Tony was still pouting and Ziva was enjoying the unusual silence. The roads had been well cleared so they were making good time on their journey with only an hour or so to go when Tony's stomach started growling. He winced; Ziva was in such a mood he was kind of afraid to even bring up the possibility of stopping to eat. After a while he turned the radio on to mask the noise of his tummy growling. The only station that came through was local and although he found it hilarious to hear people calling in, he didn't dare mention it to his partner. When he looked over, he saw that she was asleep, her head pressed against the window. He was starving by now and seeing a billboard for a chain restaurant famous for their breakfasts, he noted the exit number. It came up quickly and he exited, hoping Ziva would not kill him for the further delay. Maybe some food would help her mood though. When he pulled into a parking space at the restaurant and shut the engine off, Ziva woke up.

"We are there, yes? That was not too bad, Tony, and nice and quiet. Thank you."

"Uh…sure Ziva, but we're not exactly 'there' yet. You see, I…"

"Tony, I cannot believe you, a restaurant? We are stopping to eat? It will be dark by the time we get there at this rate and it was only 100 miles from the motel!"

"I...I..." he stammered as Ziva rolled her eyes, opened the car door and slammed it.

"Sighing, Tony turned off the car and got out, "Well that went better than I thought."

Following her into the restaurant they got a booth and sat down. Ziva immediately started looking at the menu, ignoring her partner as much as possible. They sat in silence while they decided their orders and while they were waiting for the waitress, Tony looked up and said, "Are you really going to be mad at me all day?"

"You are mistaken if you believe I will be mad at you for the entire day."

Tony flopped back against the booth and wiped his forehead, "Good, because I don't think I could..."

Before he could finish, Ziva interrupted him, "Try the next week. You will now know never to mess with my sleep." Tony's jaw dropped; he snapped it shut as the waitress approached for their orders. She almost flinched as she poured their coffee, feeling the negativity between them. "Oh well," she thought, "maybe these two just need a good solid meal to smooth things out." When she asked for their order, both Tony and Ziva spoke at once. The waitress smiled, "Oops, why don't you go first, sweetie. Looks like he needs to wait a little bit."

She winked at Ziva who bit her tongue to keep from laughing as she ordered her breakfast. Tony was aghast at the woman's comment, _what had she meant? That he needed to lose weight, shouldn't be eating at all or that it was obvious Ziva was mad at him?_

He ate his meal in a pouty silence. Ziva on the other hand enjoyed every single bite and every drop of her two cups of coffee. She left extra tip money for the waitress as they left the booth, ready to get back on the road.

She decided to take the tease a little further and headed for the driver's side of the door. "I shall drive. We need to make up the time lost by stopping to eat."

"Oh no, Ziva, no way. I don't care how pissed you are at me, I grew up driving in this kind of weather, you grew up in sandstorms!"

She fake pouted, "Fine, since that is logical, you may continue driving." He rolled his eyes as he reclaimed the driver's seat, barely waiting until she was in the car to hot foot it out of the parking lot and back onto the highway.

* * *

Tim slowly opened his eyes and kissed Gibbs' arm that was draped over his shoulder. Thrusting his ass back against Gibbs' cock, he moaned as his own suddenly hardened.

"MmMm, Timmy! That feels so good!"

"This is nice, Jethro. Waking up in your arms feels so right."

Placing a kiss to the back of Tim's neck, Gibbs sighed, "I know what you mean, Timmy. There is no place I would rather be." He paused then continued, "I take that back, I would like to have lips on your beautiful cock."

"Now that's what I'm talking about, I can't wait to have your gorgeous lips gliding over my dick. It's certainly ready for you! Come get it, big boy!"

Jethro leaned over and kissed Tim's full lips, licking the bottom one and pushing his tongue in when Tim happily opened his mouth. They explored each other's mouths, teeth and tongue for several minutes before Jethro left Tim's lips and started kissing his way down Tim's chest, stopping to lave and tweak each nipple, swirling his tongue in his belly button, back up to his neck and shoulders. He worked his way down again, this time continuing to Tim's wide awake and ready to go penis. He swirled his tongue around the head and then down the back at the split. Tim was groaning in pleasure as Jethro repeated the action, this time continuing down Tim's shaft to his balls. He took first one then the other into his mouth, giving them licks with his tongue and a bit of suction. Tim arched his back, calling his name, "Jethro…feels so good…want more!"

Jethro smirked, he was thoroughly enjoying pleasuring his lover and he hadn't even gotten to the main course yet. He wanted to give Tim the same pleasure he had received the night before. Remembering the different sensations, he blew across the tip of Tim's cock and waited until Tim had stopped writhing in his pleasure. He then took the cock into his mouth, running his tongue again down the split. Returning to the head, he licked and sucked it before placing his tongue against the palette, wrapped his large hand around the shaft and twisted his head from side to side as he moved his hand up and down Tim's shaft. Remembering bucking off the bed when Tim made the move he was about to follow, he gave an extra lick down the split and Tim outdid him, nearly coming unglued as he bucked up off the bed, shouting Jethro's name. Still following the pattern that had brought him so much pleasure, he took Tim's scrotum in his hand again and pulled down.

Now removing Tim's penis from his mouth, he took both balls into his mouth together this time and gave them the same treatment he'd received. Tim shouted again and Jethro knew as Tim's balls tightened up that he was close to coming. He took the tip of his lover's penis back into his mouth, resumed the swirling motion and gave it a little suction, then found his hot spots. When Tim finally lost it and spurted into his mouth, Jethro swallowed the bitter cum, amazed as Tim had been, at the amount. Releasing Tim's cock once he was finished, Jethro licked the remaining cum off of him and swallowed it before moving up to Tim's face and kissing him deeply. Tim returned the kiss and then turned his head into Jethro's shoulder. "That was incredible, I came so hard I thought I was going to pass out!" Jethro laughed and kissed the top of his head, running his hands down his sides and back. "You were right, that wasn't all that easy to swallow. Going to take _lots_ of practice!"

He was petting Tim's back and ass now and Tim moaned. "Jethro, unless you're ready for me to take you, you'd better slow down."

Jethro slowed and then stopped, noticing that Tim's flaccid cock was already beginning to take interest again.

"Wow, Timmy, you have the stamina of a 16 year old."

Tim opened his mouth to say something cheeky as his stomach growled.

Laughing, the two of them cuddled for a few more minutes before heading to the kitchen to find coffee and something to eat.

"I'm starving!" Tim yelped as Jethro playfully smacked his ass as they entered the kitchen.

"Me too, haven't had a decent meal for at least twenty four hours now."

Tim laughed, threw his arms around Jethro's waist and rested his head against his back. "We could have eaten yesterday when we got home, but somebody couldn't keep his hands off me."

Standing at the counter, Jethro measured out the coffee and started brewing a fresh pot before he turned around and captured Tim's lips in his own. As the kiss deepened they both groaned as their bodies responded to their arousal.

As their semi erect cocks brushed against each other, Tim pulled away gasping for air, "Jethro, as much as I want to throw you down on the kitchen table and fuck you until you can't see straight, I'm famished and if we continue, it will be another twenty four hours until we eat."

Growling, Jethro nodded his acceptance, took a seat at the kitchen table and watched his new lover move effortlessly around the room.

Poking his head out from behind the refrigerator door, Tim asked, "Bacon and eggs sound good? I would make you pancakes but I don't have enough milk."

Although he would love to see his Tim standing at the counter, covered in flour; that would have to be a fantasy for another day.

Admiring Tim's ass as he bent over to get the eggs, Jethro replied, "Sounds great, Timmy."

Jethro enjoyed the show while Tim got everything out for their breakfast. He growled in annoyance when his phone chirped at him. The id said it was DiNozzo. He answered, most of his focus still on Tim. "Gibbs." "Hey Boss, we're finally here at the property, just wanted to let you…"

At that moment, Tim yelped in pain as bacon grease spattered onto him; Gibbs jumped up beside him. "Boss…Boss you there? Is someone there, geesh I thought it sounded like Probie for a second, but why would he be at your place on a Saturday morning? Boss?"

Gibbs was busy trying to tend to Tim, who was trying to slap his hand away so he could finish cooking the bacon. When DiNozzo bellowed "**BOSS**!" through the phone, Tim had to stuff a dishtowel in his mouth to stop his laughter.

"Uh, dropped something here, DiNozzo, no hard…uh no harm done."

"You sure you're all right? I thought I heard someone else there."

"Nah, that's just…the radio in the background, DiNozzo. So what's your next step?" While his SFA outlined his plan, Gibbs listened with half an ear, the rest of him was focused on Tim and the breakfast show that had resumed. Tim was mixing the eggs to scramble them and he was swaying his ass as he stirred the eggs. Jethro got close enough to touch before he got a slap and retreated again, biting his tongue to keep from laughing. When DiNozzo finally wound down, Gibbs told him it sounded like a good plan, the parts he'd actually listened to had been fine, and to give him a call once they'd implemented their plan. He disconnected before his SFA could ask him any more awkward questions, _man was that guy nosy!_, and sidled up behind Tim, putting his arms around his waist.

"You almost done with those eggs, Timmy, because I swear we're not eating if you sway that ass of yours one more time." Tim laughed, he was having so much fun torturing Jethro; he really did want to bend him over the table and fuck the living daylights out of him sometime, but not for his first time as catcher. He pointed to the cupboard and Jethro got the plates out, buttered the toast and they sat down to eat a hearty meal. It took them quite a while as they fed each other bites, wiping butter and egg off of each other, eating a piece of bacon like a string of spaghetti, strung between them, both munching their way towards each other. Tim cheated and caught the last bite of bacon as it crumbled into this mouth. Jethro grabbed him for a kiss but Tim wasn't ready to share his prize and swallowed the bacon before he opened his mouth to his lover. When he did finally open up, Jethro grabbed him and pulled him onto his lap, licking his face and neck and playing with his balls.

* * *

As Tony hung up and pulled onto the property, Ziva surveyed the acres upon acres of land that appeared to house a giant ranch. Off to the right hand side was a large barn and to the left hand side was a modest home.

Using previously made tire tracks to guide him down the long windy driveway, Tony carefully pulled up to the garage and stopped.

"Those tire tracks were fresh, either someone came or went in the past half an hour. We need to be prepared for anything."

"Tony, you do not have to tell me that we need to be prepared. I am not some Probie who you can boss around."

"C'mon Ziva, you still can't be mad at me for keeping you up all night, can you?"  
Zipping up her jacket and adjusting her hat, she looked over at him, "I can and will."

"Let's just get this over with, the quicker we do the less time I have to spend with you!"

As Tony zipped up his own coat, the two exited the car and quietly walked to the front door. As they approached, Ziva noticed that the front door was cracked open and motioned to Tony. Grabbing the guns from their holsters, they positioned themselves on both sides of the door. When Tony nodded, Ziva knocked and called out, "Anybody home? NCIS!"

After no response, the two agents made eye contact and when Tony nodded again he pushed open the door and Ziva barged inside with her gun drawn. As she called out again and got no response, the two of them carefully made their way through each of the rooms. Meeting back in the family room they determined the house was indeed empty.

"We must have missed them." Ziva stated, looking around the room.

Tony made his way over to the bay window that overlooked the barn. "There are a lot of footprints leading out to the barn, we need to check it out."

Ziva nodded and followed him outside. As they got closer they realized that not all of the footprints were human and there were drops of blood covering the snow. When they got to the door of the barn, Tony shook his head and whispered, "My god, it smells terrible out here!"

Smiling Ziva whispered back, "Have you smelled yourself lately?"

"I don't smell this bad, Zeevah!"

Making a face, Ziva drew her gun and motioned for Tony to open the door. Putting one hand on the handle, he swung it open and jumped back. A very loud roar, followed by several growls welcomed the two agents as the door opened and they positioned themselves in defensive mode, weapons ready. While Tony's jaw dropped at what he was seeing, Ziva spotted a human body on the ground, several feet into the barn. The man's neck was at an odd angle; she saw immediately he was beyond help. While she was observing the scene from the doorway, her partner was still staring at the huge cats inside the barn. There were several and he'd never before seen pictures or heard of anything like them.

When Ziva finally responded to him pulling on her sleeve, she looked up with annoyance, "What, Tony? I am observing the crime scene before we report it. You should be doing the same thing, yes?"

Then she looked up and saw the cats. Her next words were in a language DiNozzo had never heard before but he was pretty sure she was swearing and praying at the same time. Finally she finished and the two of them looked at each other and nodded, backing slowing out of the barn, back into the yard, carefully swinging the door closed. With the door closed, they leaned against the barn, taking deep breaths.

"What are those, Ziva?"

"I am not sure, Tony, I have never seen anything like that, although…"

"Although what?"

"Crossbreeding of big cats has been going on in Africa for quite some time. However, it is illegal to transport any of them out of their various habitats."

"Looks like someone ignored that particular law."

"Yes, it does."

"We need to report the body. I'm going to call Boss first, then the local LEOs."

"I will get the camera and start taking pictures of the footprints."

"All right, I want a vet out here before we go in after those cats."

"Agreed."

DiNozzo pulled his phone out, hoping the Boss would be a little more attentive this time. He wasn't sure the man had listened to much of what he'd said on the last call. He pressed the number for Gibbs.

"Gibbs."

"Boss, we found another dead body in the barn, looks like his neck's been broken. Also the barn is full of these huge cats, Ziva thinks they're a crossbreed of some of the African species of big cats. Did you want to call out Ducky and Palmer for the body? The weather's starting to change again, it's not looking good."

"Can you two safely get the body out, without disturbing the cats?"

"Don't think so, Boss, he's kind of in the middle of them. They're not disturbing the body or anything, but we haven't tried to get in any further."

"Yeah, don't do that DiNozzo. And no on Ducky and Palmer; find a way to transport the body back here. Take good pictures and sketch out the position, you know the drill."

"Boss, I was thinking of getting the local LEO's involved, see what they know."

"Good idea. Ok, DiNozzo, the lead is yours down there, I trust you two to handle it. Call me at 1900 with an update."

"Will do Boss, thanks." He was talking to a dead line as Gibbs had already disconnected.

* * *

Throwing his phone down on the table, Jethro continued to fondle Tim's balls as the younger man leaned back and rested his head on Jethro's shoulder.

"What did Tony want this time?"

"Dead body," He mumbled while continuing to suck on Tim's neck, occasionally nibbling on his earlobes.

Writhing under Jethro's muscular hand, Tim gasped, "They find anything else?"

"Big cats. And a dead body," he replied, leaving love marks all over Tim's neck.

"No wonder I was sneezing around the body. I'm glad it's Tony and Ziva who are handling the case from there. It gives us a whole uninterrupted weekend to get to know each other. I want to show you what it's like being made love to."

Jethro stopped and turned Tim's face toward him. Capturing his lips, he ran his hands down the length of his lover's chest and took the thick cock in his hand.

Breaking apart from the kiss he gave a breathy laugh, "I can't wait for you to make love to me, Timmy." Slowly stroking the penis he continued, "I want to make sure you're all nice and hard first. That okay?"

"What do you think?" Tim responded, his voice trembling as Jethro cupped his balls then went back to stroking his penis. Tim was nearly breathless with lust as his lover continued to stroke and lick him, but he had something he needed to say. Now what was it?

"Jet…hro. We need to take… a sho…wer, clean us up, so I can get you all dirty again."

"Hmmm? Oh yeah, Tim, you're right, I'm going to need to be prepped!" Jethro was grinning, he could hardly wait for his Timmy to prep him the way he'd stretched Tim the night before. Just the thought of those long elegant fingers inside him made his cock hard as a rock.

They nearly ran to the bathroom and waited impatiently for the water to heat up. By the time the water was steaming, they'd already steamed up the mirrors with their loveplay. Tim finally pushed Jethro gently towards the shower and he climbed in, pulling Tim in after him. The older man didn't waste any time, he turned towards the wall and thrust his ass out toward his lover. Tim laughed, "Not wanting this much, are you?"

"Want you in me as soon as possible, Tim." Tim's cock, already half hard, took the rest of his blood at that remark. Tim groaned as he leaned forward and kissed Jethro's back, rubbing his erection across his lover's ass. Jethro moaned in pleasure and thrust back, wanting more connection. Tim laughed shakily as he found the clean cloth and first washed his lover's body, concentrating on his genitals and scrotum, sliding his finger along his perineum to his entrance. Jethro kept up almost a constant moan of pleasure as his body was prepared for Tim.

Tim rimmed him lightly with one finger, gradually increasing the pressure. When he felt the muscles relax a bit, he inserted the tip of one finger, just to his knuckle. Jethro's ass muscles clamped down and Tim stopped, waiting for his man to let him know it was ok to move forward. When Jethro nodded, he gently pushed the rest of his finger into the tight warm chamber and began to move it around a bit. He found his lover's prostrate and gave it a light touch. Jethro jumped with a yell, almost knocking both of them out of the shower. "Oh My God, Timmy, do that again, please! Ahhh, this feels so good." Tim laughed; happy Jethro was enjoying his touch. After fucking him slowly with the one finger, he removed it and added a second. Again he waited until Jethro nodded before he gently pushed both fingers in as far as they could go. Jethro was impatiently wiggling his hips, wanting more, Tim gave him a light slap on the ass for that, wanting him to stop and enjoy. That was the wrong move apparently; the man liked the spank and wiggled more.

"Jethro, if you don't stop that, I'm going to take my fingers out and stop fucking you."

"Sorry Timmy, I'll be good, it's just so…"

"I know. Relax, we'll be there soon." He deliberately played longer with his two fingers than he'd planned, loving the impatient grunts, moans and cries for more from the older man. Finally he withdrew both fingers and gave him three. The insertion of the third finger took a little longer for the nod to proceed, but once all three were in, Jethro was grunting and groaning with pleasure. He took his time finger fucking him, knowing how well this would prepare the man for Tim's long thick cock. Finally, he leaned down and bit each ass cheek as he gave the final thrust of his fingers. Jethro yelled and Tim quickly reached around with his free hand and took the base of the man's penis in hand. There would be no ejaculating until they were in bed! Tim washed up and turned Jethro around, keeping one hand around the base of his shaft while he gave Jethro the same sort of kiss he'd been given yesterday, one that told the man he was about to be fucked and fucked well. Both of them groaning, they gently toweled each other off and ran for the bedroom. The lube was already on the nightstand and Tim had left a packet of condoms out as well. Now he positioned Jethro on his back, a pillow under his hips, legs spread wide. Tim knelt between his legs, running his hands up Jethro's legs and inner thighs, stopping to stroke there for a bit. When Jethro started to writhe, he again moved one hand to the base of his shaft to prevent his coming.

Continuing his loving torture of the man, he took the tip of the penis in his mouth and swirled his tongue around, then down the underside, giving a good swipe to the split. That got a strong reaction and Tim did it again, releasing the penis as he ended the lick, just in time as Jethro bucked up off the bed. Settling him again, Tim moved his mouth down to his scrotum and sucked each ball tenderly, while running a finger down his perineum to his entrance.

Rising up, he helped Jethro pull his knees to his chest, to give Tim more access and increase both their pleasure. He stopped to lube his fingers, with Jethro pouring a generous amount on them. He repeated the process he'd used in the shower, although, as he had been the night before, his lover was still relaxed and well stretched. Tim reached for the condom and slid it on, then applied more lube to it. He moved up to exchange hot kisses with his man, then pulled back to his knees again as he lined his cock with Jethro's entrance and gently forged his way into his body. He moaned in pleasure, "Oh Jethro, it's so tight and hot and oh god, it feels so good."

Jethro just moaned in response, he didn't think he could formulate a word right now if his life depended on it. Tim moved forward as he saw the man nod and thrust, holding back a bit. Jethro's response was to thrust his hips at him and Tim slowly began to fuck him. He found the man's prostate again and angling his cock touched it every few thrusts. Tim thought he'd died and gone to heaven, he'd never felt like this when fucking a woman, this was far more basic and hot and there was no pretense between them, they were lovers pleasuring each other. Jethro loved every thrust, every fuck, knowing it was his man loving him, pleasuring the both of them. He widened his legs, brought his knees up to his shoulders. He wanted this to last forever, his first time being fucked by his lover, but too soon he felt his balls tightening and knew he was close to coming. Tim stroked his balls, then reached up and gathered the pre-cum from the tip of this penis and put it on his tongue. That sent Jethro over the edge and he spurted hot streams of cum onto both of them. Tim groaned as his cock was squeezed by Jethro's muscles as he came. He increased his speed as he rocked them both and soon ejaculated, shooting his cum into the condom. He came so hard he was shaking and again saw stars. Jethro balanced him until Tim recovered and then held still while his man slowly pulled out from him. Carefully removing the condom, he tossed it into the trash and then lay back down with Jethro, cuddling with him. Pulling the sheets over them both, they nuzzled together, finally falling asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

When Tony hung up from Gibbs, he realized he was alone and quickly ran to catch up with Ziva who was heading to the car to get their equipment. Trying to play it cool, once he got closer he slowed his sprint down to a fast walk.

She laughed as he worked to catch his breath, "Scared of the big kitties? You need to work out more, Tony. Perhaps you would not be out of breath from running such a short distance."

He scoffed, "In case you were wondering, it's not easy to run through six inches of snow."

The snow was falling faster now as they approached the car and neither of them wanted to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead body and a barn full of exotic cats. Grabbing the cameras out of the trunk he handed one to Ziva and put the other around his neck. "Let's head back down there, this weather is only getting worse and I don't..."

Ziva held up her hand to stop him, "Believe me, I do not wish to be stuck in that house with you tonight. Let us work fast and efficiently."

Now that they were on the same page they headed back towards the barn, Tony was already on his cell phone with the local LEO's asking for help and describing the situation. Ziva began snapping pictures of the prints near the barn before they were covered in snow again while Tony was practically begging for help from the locals. From the way Tony was raising his voice and throwing out "Do you know who I work for," Ziva knew the conversation wasn't going well.

She looked up when she heard Tony bellow, "Come hell or high water you better find a way out here!"

Angrily he snapped his phone shut and looked up to see Ziva staring at him. Shrugging his shoulders, he grit his teeth, "Well, that went well."

"It does not sound like it went well, Tony."

"Because of the snow fall and the size of this town, the sheriff is short on officers and told me it was going to be a few days before they could make it out here."

Ziva swore in a language Tony didn't recognize, but he was impressed with the angry guttural sounds and made a mental note to in the future ask her to teach him those words.

"Ok, Ninja girl, here's what we need to do. We've already done what we can to process the scene, we should cover the body so those cats can't just eat it," he paused and both of them shuddered, "find some food for them that's not us or the dead guy, throw it at them, then shut the barn door and get inside the house. Because in this snow we can't drive to whatever they call a town around here so, yeah, we're stuck. "

"I have another idea."

"What Ziva?"

"We are in the Shenandoah Valley, yes? We should call the ranger stations and see if they have large animal cages. Perhaps they could bring them to us with their 4 Wheel drive vehicles. After all, we did solve a murder for them."

"You mean we busted a serial killer park ranger, Zeevah, but yeah, that's a good idea." He pulled out his phone and found the number for the closest ranger station. It took several rings for someone to answer, but finally he was speaking with a real person.

"My name is Anthony DiNozzo and I'm a Special Agent with NCIS." He paused wondering how to explain their situation and the person on the other end said,

"Tony, right? This is Bobbie, Ranger Bobbie Hendricks, remember me? You asked me out and then backed off because you weren't ready to date yet after the death of your wife."

Tony had no memory of that or of the woman herself, but played along. "Hi Bobbie, it's good to hear your voice again. Yeah, those were some rough times. Listen, I'm in Fort Valley with my partner and we've got a barn full of big cats with a dead body right in the middle of them. We need to get to the body, but the cats – and they're big, Bobbie, like lion sized, aren't real friendly. The sheriff here hasn't been any help and we wondered if the Park Service would loan us some big animal cages so we can do our work."

"Sure, we could loan them to you, we don't have much call for them this time of year. How many would you need?"

"I'm not sure, we couldn't stay close enough to get a firm count, but it's either 6 or 8."

"So 8 cages would be enough."

"Yes."

"We have them here at our headquarters. It'll take you awhile to get here from Fort Valley, it's snowing pretty heavily over here."

"That's another favor I need to ask, Bobbie, we just have an agency sedan, don't even have snow tires much less 4 wheel drive."

"Oh, yeah, that's a problem. We can bring them to you, but not today."

"Tomorrow will have to do. Another question, Bobbie, any idea what big cats eat? I don't even know what to look for around here."

She gave him some idea of what to look for and set an estimated time of arrival for the following day. Turning, he found Ziva right behind him, as usual, smirking at him. "Oh Bobbie…" she mimicked, "I can't date you, I'm married…oh no I mean I was married, she died and I…I just can't."

She made a face at him, "I remember that, she had hairy legs or something and you lied to her with that stupid story to get out of the date."

Tony grimaced, "Ok, so sue me because I don't remember, Ziva. That was how many years ago? "

Ziva continued, "It was my first year here, 2006."

"Wow, a long time ago."

"Yes, so you should be well "over" your wife's death now, DiNozzo. I will tell her tomorrow that you have done nothing but talk about her since your phone conversation."

"NO, no, Ziva, don't, I'll …find a way to tell her the truth."

"No, you will not hurt her feelings, Tony."

Tony felt an impending headache and decided to focus on their work instead of his stupid lie to someone he never thought he'd see again.

"She told me what to look for to feed them. Said they need to be fed at least once a day. Since the body was past rigor when we got here, I'm guessing the kitties didn't get fed today."

"I'm impressed you know what a body past rigor would look like. "

"Come on Ziva, been a cop for nearly 20 years, been working with Ducky for more than half those years, some of what he says has sunk in."

She smiled prettily. "It is a happy surprise, Tony."

Rubbing his temples, DiNozzo stalked off toward the barn again, well, as much as anyone can stalk in what was now well over the predicted 6 inches of snow.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Ziva whispered as she followed him back to the barn.

Putting his finger up to his lips he cracked open the barn door to take a peek inside. The cats were lounging, some around the dead body and others on beds that were made of hay. They appeared relaxed until they heard the door creak at which point some of them jumped into a defensive position and began growling and hissing.

Quickly slamming the door, Tony worked to catch his breath, "If we don't find something for them to eat, I'm afraid they're going to start feeding on that body. Let's go up to the house and see what we can find."

As they headed towards the house, Ziva joked, "What did your girlfriend say they ate anyway?"

"She just said we would know when we saw it. We'll need to check the freezers and refrigerators."

Upon entering the house, they were welcomed by a blast of warm air. Heading for the kitchen, Ziva opened the refrigerator but didn't find anything unusual except that it was fully stocked. Opening the freezer she found it stocked with frozen TV dinners and ice cream. Noticing Tony's absence she followed the noise into a back room that had three giant deep freezers.

Tony was already digging through one when she entered. "I did not find anything in the refrigerator, have you had any luck?"

"Jackpot!" Tony announced as he pulled a huge parcel out of the freezer.

"How do you know? That could just be people food, Tony."

"I know Zeevah because it says "Linger food" on it."

Ziva made a face, "I have never heard of such food before. Is this like a new craze that I do not know about?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "Remember how you thought the cats were crossbreeds? I could be wrong but I think 'linger' stands for a combination of a lion and a tiger. It is food for the linger, do you understand what I'm talking about now?"

"Yes, of course" she shook her head, "I do not understand why you could not have said that in the first place."

Standing with his mouth open, Tony wanted to retaliate but figured after their delightful morning together he didn't want to rock the boat any further. Especially now that it looked like they were going to be spending a few days together.

"Do you know what is in the package?" Ziva questioned as Tony pulled out another 3 packages.

"I'm guessing some type of meat. Let's take this down to the barn, unwrap it and throw it in. Then while they're busy we'll see if we can either move the body or at least throw something over it to make it less appealing until the rangers can get here in the morning. Sound like a plan?"

Picking up one of the parcels, Ziva turned to leave, "Sounds like a plan, but not a very good one!"

Tony grit his teeth again, hoping the house was big enough so that he could get away from 'Her Royal Meanness' while they were stuck out here. He thought about what they would need to move the body. They had taken as many photos as they could; he didn't see any other option but to move the body or risk losing it as 'dinner' to those animals. "Lingers", that was interesting although he'd much rather be watching a documentary about them than stuck taking care of them in the middle of what was shaping up to be a blizzard.

He thought they could roll the body onto a blanket or tarp and pull it out of the barn. And then where? They couldn't leave it outside, same risk as leaving it inside although different animals.

"Hold up, Ziva, let's think this through before we go back out there. Any ideas of what to do with the body? Cover it, move it? "

Ziva pursed her lips, "It is not safe to leave it in there but it is also not safe to leave it outside. If there was another building, we could move it in there, but not into the house."

"Agreed. All right, I'm going to look for another building."

"I will go, Tony, I have snow boots, you do not." Tony looked at her, astounded.

"Do not look at me like that, I am not being nice. I am merely making sure that Gibbs does not chew us both out when you catch a cold."

Tony shrugged and watched as she grabbed her nice warm parka and headed back outside. He decided to poke around the house and see if there were any boots, or even just dry socks that he could borrow. He scored heavy socks in the first bedroom he checked, but no boots of any kind. He had just finished putting them on when he heard the front door open and close.

Ziva called out, "I have found another building." He entered the front room to find her looking through the closet. "Here is a heavier jacket you could wear, Tony. And here is a blanket we can use to carry the body."

"Good, thank you Ziva." Putting the jacket on and grabbing the 'linger' food package and the blanket, he followed his partner out into the snow.

They stopped inside the barn door and opened the package, then carefully tossed the food toward the cats. Once the food was distributed and the cats ignoring them, they approached the body. Putting the blanket on the ground, they were able to roll the body onto it, wrapped the rest of the blanket around it and then together lifted it. From past experience helping Ducky, Tony knew it would be easier now that rigor had passed and he was right. He paused in astonishment as he heard a very large size noise that sounded amazingly like "meow". The look on Ziva's face told him she'd heard it too. He dared another look at the cats and found some of them cleaning their whiskers and paws. Shaking his head, he lifted his part of the burden and they turned toward the barn door.

Picking up the pace they dropped the body outside the door, and slammed it just as one of the lingers pounced at them. Throwing all their weight against the door as it rattled and shook from the cat; Tony could hear Ziva quietly praying in Hebrew. Fumbling with the heavy lock he gave one final push to snap it into position and sank to the ground. Falling down beside him, both agents worked to catch their breath as their bodies continued to shake with fear and adrenaline.

"Thin... think... I... I just saw my life flash before my eyes!" Tony stammered as he held his hands to his chest and continued taking deep breaths.

Ziva nodded, "I thought we were going to be goners too. I told you it was a stupid plan!"

Tony's jaw dropped open, "Well I didn't hear you come up with a better one. I've had enough of you today; let's get this body to the other building and go inside to get warmed up."

"I have had enough of you too, Tony. Let that be a lesson to you, never mess with my sleep again!" Standing up they each grabbed one end of the blanket and started trudging through the snow to the storage shed that Ziva had found. After clearing some of the snow in order to open the door, they found a tarp, laid it out then positioned the body on top of it. Wrapping it like a burrito they used some fishing lure to secure it then shut and locked the door.

Turning to head back to the house, Tony spoke, "The weather's not good for us but it will surely slow down decomposition on the body."

Ziva scoffed, "Yes, I am sure that it is really comforting to the dead guy too."

Rolling his eyes Tony picked up the pace, he wanted to get as far away from Ziva as possible. Well as far as he could get for right now. Noticing what he was trying to do, Ziva quickened her stride, "There is nowhere to go Tony. We are going to be stuck with each other for the next few days or whenever this blizzard stops. You better get used to it."

Approaching the car, he collected their 'go' bags out of the trunk and practically threw Ziva's at her. "I don't have to get used to it, Ziva. The house is big enough so that we can have our own separate sides."

"Fine by me!" She replied as she marched towards the front door.

"Fine by me too!" Tony bellowed as she got further and further away.

Before she entered she turned back to address him, "It is a good thing we are not staying at the Bates Motel tonight. You would have to face all the little ghosts on your own."

Letting the screen door slam in Tony's face, he clenched his fists, "That's a low blow Ziva!" Opening the door to let himself in, Tony thought, _"Please tell me there's some alcohol around here." _

* * *

Tim woke up gradually, enjoying the feel of strong arms holding him and the furry mat of chest hair under his head. He moved a bit, so he could reach his lover's mouth and found him watching him, his blue eyes sparkling. "Good morning, Timmy."

"Good morning, Jethro, how are you feeling this morning?" Jethro wiggled his hips, "A little sore but nothing a hot shower won't help."

Tim nodded, "That's how I felt too and a hot shower did do the trick." They cuddled together for a bit, neither ready to leave their warm nest. Eventually one of them had to use the bathroom, so they both got up. Tim found an old robe in his closet and passed it to Jethro while he pulled on his sweat pants and turned the heater on.

Jethro opened his mouth to suggest they shower first and then get breakfast, only to be interrupted by Tim's tummy growling at him. Tim blushed in embarrassment which Jethro found endearing. Laughing he took Tim by the shoulders and steered him toward the kitchen. "Your stomach has spoken, Tim, let's get fed and then do showers."

"You sure, Jethro, if you're not too sore?"

"No, babe, I'm all right, makes me remember the fun."

Pulling Tim into his arms, they kissed, finally coming up for air when Jethro's stomach rumbled.

"I guess our bodies are speaking to us, Jethro," Tim laughed. "Ok, we have eggs, bacon, bread and milk. Want some French toast, or would you rather have pancakes?"

Jethro paused to think about it, he usually didn't admit it to anyone but he loved French toast, had ever since his grandmother used to make it for him as a little boy.

"Is French toast too much trouble, Timmy?"

"Not at all, so French toast it is?"

"Yeah!" While Tim worked on the bacon and French toast, Jethro got the coffee going and poured them each a glass of orange juice. As Tim finished cooking, he passed Jethro his plate and the two sat at the small table and ate their breakfast in companionable silence.

Jethro smiled, "This might sound silly, Tim, but this is what I want with you, hope you do too, a life together, along with the wonderful loving. Eating together, doing grocery shopping, watching a game or a movie together, this is what I've dreamed of having with you. "

Tim smiled at him, "You know, for a guy who usually doesn't say more than two words an hour, you're doing pretty well, Jethro. That's what I want too, a real life together, being partners, lovers and friends."

They grinned at each other, both thinking the same thing, "And joint showers!" Leaving the dishes for later, they chased each other to the bathroom.

Groaning as his phone chirped, Tim made a detour for the bedroom while Gibbs continued on to the bathroom to get the shower started. The message was from his dog walker telling him that when she didn't hear from him yesterday she assumed he was busy working and didn't want to bother him. Now, however, she needed to bring the dog home as she was leaving to go out of town for a few days. Tim sent her a text back saying he was sorry he didn't get back to her and to drop Jethro off in the next half hour.

Stripping down he quickly joined Jethro in the bathroom. The older man was already in the shower enjoying the hot water pulsating down his back. Tim yelped as Jethro pulled him in, pinned him against the wall and began nibbling on his neck.

"JeTHRo" Tim gasped, his voice raising an octave, "We don't have much time, the dog walker needs to drop doggy Jethro off in the next half hour."

Jethro dropped his head against Tim's chest, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Using his finger to tilt Jethro's chin, Tim captured his lips, pushing his tongue inside his mouth and exploring. Pulling back he broke the kiss, "Sorry babe, unfortunately owning a dog is like having a kid sometimes. Plus we could cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie. Doggy Jethro makes a warm blanket."

Squirting shampoo into his hands, Jethro rubbed them together and said, "As much as I love Jethro, the only body I want to be covered with is yours."

Jethro leaned back against the shower wall, pulling Tim with him. When the younger man leaned forward, his lover gently started working the shampoo into his hair. He slowly worked his fingers into Tim's scalp, spending long minutes giving him a strong and yet sensual massage. Using both hands, he massaged the top of his skull, his thumbs drawing slow circles on his temples. Giving equal time to the top and sides of his head, his fingers gently dug, swirling through Tim's hair. Tim was thoroughly enjoying the attention and was soon moaning with pleasure and the release of stress he didn't even know he had.

Tapping Tim, Jethro had him turn around so he could minister the same loving attention to the back of his scalp and head. While his fingers once again dug in to the top and sides of the scalp, his thumbs massaged the base and the areas adjacent to Tim's occipital bone. Jethro paused for a second as he couldn't figure out what his lover Tim was doing…and then he heard it. His Tim was humming with pleasure. He continued working until he'd massaged every inch of his scalp and skull. He whispered in Tim's ear that it was time to rinse and Tim, on sensory overload, moaned again. Jethro spent nearly as much time rinsing Tim's hair as he had washing it, again making sure every inch was rinsed clear of shampoo. When he finished, he gave Tim a soft kiss on the back of his neck.

Tim turned around, absentmindedly running his fingers through his hair, "Oh my god Jethro! That was almost better than sex!"

Jethro wrapped his hands around Tim's waist, pulled him close, and kissed his forehead. "I hope I heard you say it was _almost_ better than sex and not better than sex."

Kissing Jethro's nose he chuckled, "I said almost, babe."

Spinning his lover around, he pinned him against the wall and grabbed the shampoo bottle. Squirting a dab of shampoo into his hands he rubbed them together to form a lather and then slowly began working the shampoo into Jethro's hair. The older man leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes as Tim gently scraped his fingernails through his hair. After fully covering Jethro's hair with shampoo he started in the front, using his index and middle fingers to rub small circles over his temples. Jethro moaned in pleasure as Tim extended his perimeter around the crown of his head and then slowly made his way back to Jethro's forehead.

Grabbing his lover by the shoulders, Tim swung him around so he could reach the back of Jethro's head. Starting at his ears, Tim lightly pinched each earlobe between his thumb and index finger, and then slowly slid his fingers around the entire perimeter of his ear. Jethro groaned, "Feels so good, Timmy. Please don't stop." Tim laughed and continued massaging around Jethro's ears, then moved on by rubbing small circles down the back of his neck, following his hairline. Reaching Jethro's strong muscular neck he squeezed the muscles between his hands and ran his fingernails down his back. Jethro's body was a puddle of goo as Tim supported his weight and guided him underneath the shower to wash the soap out of his hair. Keeping one arm around his waist, Tim used his other hand to tilt the older man's head back and gently ran his fingers through his hair.

"Ahh, that felt so good, Timmy. We need to do this every day for each other."

"Agreed. Just have to make sure my boss gives us the time, you know because he's a little impatient sometimes."

Jethro laughed and gave him a little swat on his backside, "I'll show you impatient later, Timothy!"

They rinsed and then dried each other off, keeping doggy-Jethro's imminent arrival in mind.

By the time the dogwalker knocked on the door, they were dressed and Jethro was pouring coffee for the two of them. Jethro dog greeted his owner excitedly, licking, jumping and barking, and then rolling over and over on the floor grunting in sheer happiness to be home with his human. After both men had paid sufficient attention to the dog that he was satisfied, he went off to find his favorite toys, bringing them back to the living room to pounce on them. He'd take his stuffed toys in his teeth, throw them in the air and then catch them.

Human Jethro noticed there were no squeaky toys and Tim nodded, "Learned that the hard way. If you want to sleep, think or even just breathe in peace, no squeaky toys."

Chuckling, the two men cuddled together on the couch. After a few quiet minutes, Tim decided to just say what had been on his mind, "Just been thinking, we kind of jumped right into this relationship. And you know I'm not complaining, not one bit! I know we were both worried about the physical parts, but we've sure gotten past that!" He gave his lover a long kiss.

"I was having the same thoughts, babe. It's different because we already know each other and I already knew I loved you, although that's taken some different forms. This feels so right between us, if that doesn't sound too cheesy."

"Not to me it doesn't, Jethro. I already loved you too; I have in some manner since I met you at Norfolk. Yeah, the baby-dada thing was a wonderful distraction but look where it led us, right where we're supposed to be."

"So you want to slow down, go on a few dates?" Tim looked at Jethro, eyebrows rising to the sky and then both laughed. "No, I just think we should be aware that as much as we love each other and love to pleasure each other, this is a relationship we're building."

Jethro nodded, "A forever one, as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping we'll marry when the time's right and we can tell everyone about us."

Tim blinked, "Is that a proposal?"

"More of a promise for the future, my love, this is a little soon - maybe next week for the proposal?"

Tim laughed and slapped him lightly with a throw pillow, "You're a goofball, Jethro! Oh yeah, please let's wait until our second week together before we start planning our wedding. I'd hate to tell our kids we decided to get married on our first 'date'. "

"Kids? Hmm, let's talk about that later too. I didn't mean our wedding, Timmy, meant our lives together. I already know more about weddings than I ever wanted to."

Tim nodded and decided not to tease about that just now. "If we lived here, in Maryland, we could get married now. Virginia hasn't approved same-sex marriage yet."

"Funny you should know that." Tim opened his mouth to reply to that but then Jethro moved in for a kiss and he forgot what he was going to say or where he was or anything but loving with his man.

* * *

Ziva padded into the kitchen in her thick socks. Although the heater in this house worked well, her feet and hands were chilly. She had turned the thermostat up as she walked by, now she let water run into a saucepan. She had her own tea bags with her, had learned to always carry them in her 'go' bag. She looked in the cupboards, hoping to find something warm and substantial for breakfast, and found a large container of old fashioned oatmeal. Reading the directions, she quickly made the oatmeal in the microwave while her tea water came to a gentle boil. Pouring the water into a mug with the tea bag, she covered it to let it steep for a few minutes. She was enjoying the solitude and hoped Tony would sleep longer. All day would be fine. She sat down to enjoy her oatmeal and tea with a view out the window. She muttered to herself as she saw the huge drifts of snow. She had hoped they could get out of here today, but unless someone showed up with a plow, that did not seem likely. Stirring brown sugar and milk into her cereal, she ate pensively. They were expecting the park ranger Bobbie with the animal cages in late morning; perhaps their vehicle would have a plow on it. Ziva had seen pickups trucks with plows on them, so had hope.

Tony woke to the sound of the microwave and smelled something hot. Hot would be good, he was pretty chilly. He hoped Ziva was not still in her "you kept me awake, you will die" mood. He'd really had enough of that and had been relieved when she'd retired to 'her' room to read last night. He'd watched a couple of movies. There was no TV reception, but he'd found a stash of DVDs and a portable DVD player and got through the very long, boring and too quiet evening watching someone else's collection of movies.

Having only had a sandwich for dinner last night, he was now starving. He had coffee grounds with him, having learned from Gibbs, and some dry creamer in his favorite flavor. Now all he needed was food to go with all that. He slid his sweat pants and long sleeved tee shirt on as well as the socks he'd 'borrowed' yesterday and headed out to the kitchen. Ziva was staring out at the snow; DiNozzo was shocked when he followed her line of sight. There was far more than he'd anticipated.

"We'll need a plow to get out of here."

"Yes. I am hoping the rangers have one on their vehicle."

"That's a good hope, they probably do."

"There is food in the refrigerator; I had oatmeal as I did not feel like cooking."

"Ok, I don't feel like oatmeal, I can handle cooking."

She looked at him, "Why are you behaving like this?"

"Like what? I'm trying not to say or do anything wrong to piss you off again."

"DiNozzo, do not _ever again_ mess with my sleep."

He had to resist the urge to say, "Yes Your Royal Highness", instead taking the high road and simply replying "Ok." Silence reigned between them as he removed eggs, bacon, bread and butter from the refrigerator.

"I'm going to scramble some eggs, would you like some, or toast?"

"No eggs but yes, a piece of toast would be good."

Tony found the toaster and put the bread in while he scrambled the eggs. He was still playing with the eggs, melting a little cheese into them when the smoke alarm went off. Ziva jumped up and pulled the plug on the toaster.

"DINOZZO, can you not do anything right?"

The kitchen was full of smoke and the stink of burnt toast. DiNozzo was so flustered he allowed the eggs to burn.

Ziva grabbed a hot pad and the pan and put it in the sink, then opened a window to let the smoke out. The air was freezing and she cursed her inept teammate in several languages.

Tony sank down into a chair. "I should have just had oatmeal."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Thanks to those who are reading and enjoying, we'd love to hear about it!

Previously: _Tony sank down into a chair. "I should have just had oatmeal."_

Ziva snorted at him and then started laughing, softly at first and then it grew into an all-out laugh. Tony stared at her in confusion and then started to laugh himself. The two of them sat in the smoky freezing kitchen, full of crispy eggs and burned toast, laughing themselves silly.

Relieved to hear Ziva laughing instead of yelling at him, Tony felt like he could finally relax. He was glad to have his old partner back as they worked best as a team when they weren't fighting.

"Guess I need to find something else to eat," he huffed, standing up.

"I could make you some oatmeal," Ziva offered and following a nod from Tony who was in a quiet state of shock, she got up, grabbed the container of oatmeal and began preparing him a bowl.

While Ziva went about getting his oatmeal ready, Tony slipped around her cleaning up his mess. Toast and eggs went into the garbage and the toaster was unplugged; Tony privately thought it should have a sign hung around it saying, "Burn only." The egg encrusted skillet went into the sink to soak. As he finished filling it with water, the microwave dinged and Ziva handed him the hot pads to pull it out.

"What do you want on it, Tony? There is brown sugar, butter or maple syrup."

"Brown sugar and milk sounds great."

"The milk is on the table, and I'll get the brown sugar."

* * *

Tim lifted his head from where it rested against Jethro's chest, looking for the remote for the television. Once he found it, he resumed his position against the warm, strong body.

Sighing, he flipped on the TV and said, "This is perfect, no place I would rather be on a Sunday afternoon than snuggling up with my man."

Jethro kissed the top of his head, "Me too, babe. The only thing I want is you. And..." he paused and laughed when Tim looked up at him. "Maybe a steak." Chuckling again when Tim playfully slapped his knee.

"If we want steak, we'll have to get dressed and go to the store. I do have some mystery things in the freezer people have left here, if you're up for that?" That earned him an eyebrow followed by an amused chuckle and a smoochy kiss.

"Love your sense of humor, Timmy! I am willing to sacrifice getting dressed and leaving the sofa to share a steak with you."

They snuggled for a few more minutes before the dog decided to join them, and that got them off the couch and into the bedroom for clothing purposes. With a kiss here, a tweak or a nuzzle there, it took them far longer to put clothes on their bodies than it normally did and certainly longer than it took them to yank them off. Finally they emerged from the room with enough visible clothing to satisfy social conventions.

"Timmy, have you seen my keys?" Jethro asked when he realized he couldn't find them anywhere.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tim laughed as they both started picking up items of clothing that had been strewn throughout the apartment. In the heat of their passion, the keys had gone missing and at that moment it had been the last thing on either of their minds. Picking up his jacket, Jethro shook it and was relieved when the keys tumbled out of his pocket.

"Found em, you ready to go?" He announced while putting on his jacket and then holding Tim's up to allow him to slip into it.

"Such a gentleman," Tim blushed and captured his lover's lips between his own.

Thoughts of food again flew out of their minds as they engaged each other's mouth, lips, tongue and teeth in a teasing battle. Doggy Jethro, tired of all this and wanting them to leave the apartment so he could have some peace and quiet, finally gave them a firm warning bark. Laughing, they parted and he escorted them to the front door, giving a happy little sound as they exited and locked the door behind him.

Gibbs chuckled, "Think your dog was trying to tell us something?"

Tim snorted, "He has his routine and we've upset it, he must have really wanted some time alone!"

Both men laughed at the thought as they moved towards the front of the building. Reaching the parking lot, their laughter stopped as they gazed at the snowy vista in front of them. The plows had been through but the agency sedan still had at least a foot of snow on every surface.

"Sure you don't want to risk the mystery items, Jethro?"

"C'mon Timmy, we'll work up an appetite." The two approached the car and started scooping and brushing the snow off.

Between the two of them, it didn't take very long to remove enough of the snow for them to be able to squeeze into the car and pull out of the parking lot. Although the temperature outside was below freezing, both men had a thin layer of sweat gracing their brows. Pulling a tissue out of the box, Tim dabbed his forehead, "Can't believe we're actually sweating and it's only 20 degrees out here."

"Yeah, who would have thought?" Jethro replied chuckling. As he went to take his own tissue, Tim grabbed his hand, "Let me do it, Jethro. You keep those gorgeous blue eyes of yours on the road."

Gently wiping the sweat off Jethro's forehead and neck, Tim sat back and said, "How's that? Anywhere I missed?"

Since they were stopped at a red light, Jethro looked over at him and cocked one eyebrow, "Well there is one place that could use your attention." He tilted his chin and looked down at his cock.

Tim laughed and nudged his arm, "Of course that needs some attention but it will have to wait until later."

When the older man whined, Tim lay his hand on Jethro's knee and squeezed, "Believe me, it will definitely be worth the wait."

Groaning, Gibbs replied, "It better be because if it was up to me, I'd pull this car over right now and we'd steam up the windows really quickly."

Tim grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "That still wouldn't get us to the steaks and other fun foods, Jethro."

Gibbs' brow rose, "Fun foods, Timmy? What have you got in mind?"

"Oh no, it's a surprise, you'll see later."

"In the store?"

"Nope, you'll be getting the steaks and whatever else you want to eat tonight and for breakfast."

At the lascivious chuckle, Tim blushed and corrected himself, "I mean whatever other _food_ items you want to eat tonight and for breakfast tomorrow."

"Oh I see; things we need to buy - because you already know what I want to eat tonight and in the morning." Tim squirmed in his seat; very glad his jacket was long enough to cover his groin.

They pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket, as usual after a heavy snow many of the spaces were covered. Before getting out of the car, Gibbs looked at Tim's groin and then his, giving an amused chuckle. "We just can't enough of each other, can we Timmy? " Tim shook his head, enjoying his arousal, wishing they were home to play some more. "We'll have a lot more time to love on each other, Jethro. And I know we'll both enjoy every minute!" Gibbs smiled and cupped his lover's cheek for a moment, leaning over and giving him a soft kiss. "Yes we will, my Tim."

Gathering coat and jacket around their visible arousals, both men climbed out of the car and worked their way through the snow into the store.

Tim grabbed a cart and headed to the produce department with Jethro hot on his heels. He knew what he preferred to have along with the steaks, but was unsure of what his lover would want. Looking through the different variety of vegetables he asked, "Sweetie, what do you want to have along with the steaks?"

Jethro leaned in close and whispered, "Besides a side of you?"

Laughing, Tim responded, "I know I'm irresistible, Jethro. However, if we're going to enjoy each other tonight then we're going to need all the nourishment we can get."

Picking up a bag of potatoes, Jethro deposited them in the cart after receiving an affirmative nod from the younger man, "You make a good point, Timmy."

Grinning slightly, Tim replied, "I know I do. Alright so we'll have mashed potatoes, how about a vegetable?"

Jethro made a face, "Not really a vegetable person, but whatever you want is fine with me."

Pushing the cart further into the store, Tim stopped and pointed, "Which would you rather have, asparagus or broccoli?"

While Gibbs hemmed and hawed trying to make a decision, Tim whispered seductively, "Might as well pick something you like because if you don't eat all your vegetables then you won't get to taste..." motioning to the bulge in his pants he continued, "all of this."

Looking at the asparagus and thinking of drawing the long stems through sauce and then sucking and biting the moist heads off, Jethro groaned and whispered in a very rough voice, "Asparagus."

Tim smirked at him, knowing exactly what his lover had been thinking, and picked up a bundle of the vegetable, "So, one bunch or two?"

Gibbs snatched it out of his hand and nearly threw it in the cart. "You are evil, Timmy, pure unadulterated evil."

"Not evil, Jethro, lust…it's pure unadulterated lust."

"Good thing we know we love each other."

Tim's whole face lit up, "Yeah it is, babe and you are so getting rewarded for saying that." Gibbs strategically pinned Tim up against the shopping cart, his erection brushing up against the younger man's ass in the process. "We need to hurry up then, Timmy."

Tim moaned quietly and blushed when he noticed an older couple eyeing them suspiciously. "Jethro, why don't you go pick out the steaks and some wine and I'll get the rest of the food."

Winking at his lover as he walked away, Tim picked up a carton of strawberries along with a bag of grapes and placed them in the cart. Making his way over to the dairy section he picked up a can or two of whipped cream, eggs, bacon and cheese. Remembering he promised to make Gibbs pancakes at some point he headed over to the baking supplies, picked up a new package of flour and continued wandering the aisles. By the time he made it over to the frozen foods section, his cart was half way full. While picking up a carton of his favorite ice cream he happened to spy a bottle of chocolate sauce on an endcap. Licking his lips as he began fantasizing about some of the things he could do with the sauce, he was startled when a hand suddenly grabbed his ass.

"JetHRo," Tim yelped, spinning around to face him and trying to catch his breath.

Smiling, Gibbs held up his choices and after a nod from Tim put them in the cart. Taking the bottle of sauce out of Tim's hand, he felt his cock tingle as he asked, "Chocolate sauce for dessert?"

Blushing, Tim replied, "You'll have to wait and see, babe. Don't worry, I promise you it will be worth the wait."

Seeing the lines at the checkout, they opted for the self-check, only to find themselves in line behind a poor soul who had never done it before and was clueless. When Tim looked like he was about to offer help, Jethro pulled him back, "Let the store employees do their damn jobs, babe." His glare at the nearest cashier had an employee nearly running to the self-checkout to help the elderly woman in front of them. Rather than show the senior citizen what to do, the employee, with a nervous look at the glare still on Gibbs' face, ran the items through herself. That was fine, unfortunately the customer still had to pay and Jethro and Tim both thought they would scream or throw themselves at each other, it was a close call either way, before the woman slowly removed cash from her wallet, counted out the right amount, waited for her change, counted that as she slowly put the money back in her wallet, zipped it all the way closed, put it back in her purse and then closed her purse. The employee then made the mistake of asking if there would be anything else and Tim had a vague impression of every customer in line saying 'oh no!' The woman stopped and thought, took out her shopping list, however the manager came along and swooped her away, saying "Shall we step over here, Ma'am, so these other folks can get home before the snow starts again?" Tim could hear Jethro's teeth grinding and he was sure he was about to be hit with a migraine. The employee helped them move through quickly and finally_, finally_ they were back in the car. As they sat in the car trying to shake off the experience, Tim finally turned to his lover, "So as I was saying…"

* * *

While Tony relaxed and ate his oatmeal, Ziva decided to grab a quick shower and get dressed. There was still plenty of time before they would expect to see Ranger Bobbi Hendricks and whoever came with her, but Ziva liked having plenty of time.

Thankfully the hot water heater was working well and Ziva enjoyed the heat on her still chilled body. She washed, rinsed and then hopped out, wrapping a large towel around her. Padding into 'her' room, she quickly dressed; adding layers so that she would stay warm in the house and could add her parka, boots and gloves when the rangers arrived. Briefly she wondered how they would get the cats into the cages and then shrugged, surely the rangers would know how. She left her room and returned to the kitchen just as a large truck with a Park Service logo lumbered through the snow.

"Tony, they are here. Quick, go get dressed."

Tony paused, his mouth full of oatmeal. "What?"

"The rangers are here, Bobbi, remember?"

"Ohshugatg" Tony slurred as he tried to swallow the huge amount of oatmeal he'd just shoveled into his mouth. He swallowed the 'wrong way' and began to cough so hard that Ziva had to pound on his back. Eventually he caught his breath and he stood, shirtless in his sweat pants, trying to figure out what to do. Ziva hissed at him, "Go, get dressed, I will speak with them. Do not forget boots and that jacket I found."

Tony nodded as his brain finally kicked into gear and he hightailed it to 'his' room and clothing.

He was just in time; he heard someone knocking on the kitchen door just as he cleared the doorway into the room he'd slept in. Then he heard Ziva's voice and a louder voice saying, "Oh, where's Tony?" He shuddered, considering where he could hide in the house. No, couldn't do that, he was a trained Federal Agent, he would lie his way out of this just as he'd done before, many times. He threw on a flannel shirt; started to pull a boot on and remembered he was still wearing his sweat pants. Sighing he took the boot off, put his dirty suit pants back on and then slid the boots on over them. Another suit likely ruined. He threw on the borrowed jacket, which smelled really bad and looked in the bathroom mirror. Great, he looked like a tramp wearing someone else's clothes. And the boots hurt. He limped out front, ready to meet his doom.

"Tony is upstairs getting dressed; he cannot wait to see you after all these years." Ziva greeted Bobbi with a handshake and then turned to her extremely tall partner and shook his hand.

"This is my partner, Jack. We've been working together for the past five years now."

Jack reached around and rested his hand on Bobbi's shoulder, "What can I say? She can't get enough of me." Giggling, Bobbi blushed and removed his hand, "How many times do I have to tell you not at work?"

It was at that moment Ziva realized something was going on between Bobbi and Jack. Their body language, small glances and touches appeared to be coming from two people who were in a relationship. Doing what every woman does she glanced at her left hand to see if she was wearing a ring. Shrugging it off, Ziva figured they were probably boyfriend/girlfriend; that is until a shiny object sparkled under the florescent light. Taking a closer look she realized Bobbi was wearing an engagement ring on a chain around her neck. Although she knew Tony would be relieved to hear that she decided it would best if he found out on his own. Plus it was going to be fun to watch him squirm for a few minutes, maybe he would think twice before he told another lie.

"We cannot tell you how grateful we are that you could come out and help us. There appear to be six large cats, which Tony believes are called lingers, or at least that is what it said on the food we found in the freezer."

Speaking of Tony, Ziva was wondering what was taking her partner so long and called upstairs, "Tony, are you almost ready? We could use your help down here."

He appeared on the stairs, trying not to limp and almost bit his tongue when he saw the giant man standing next to the pretty ranger. He hoped this guy knew the guy code and would keep his mouth shut if he spotted an obvious lie. He joined the trio in the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm Tony DiNozzo, maybe Bobbi's already told you."

"No, no, don't think so."

"Oh, well we uh, worked together a few years ago on a case."

"Oh, her partner that was a serial killer, yeah she did mention that, just not who she was working with."

"Oh, yeah. Well, hi Bobbi, nice to see you again."

"Hi Tony, how are you? Are things better for you now?"

From his 6' 7" height, Jack looked down at his fiancée, wondering what she was up to. She never used that tone of voice unless she was toying with someone.

Tony tried not to swallow his tongue, although maybe that would be a good idea right now, they'd have to stop and help him and maybe she'd forget all about the dead wife thing and he wouldn't have to make up another lie. He suddenly realized there was a dead silence and the group was waiting for a response from him.

"Uh, yeah, I've been to grief counseling and still, you know…?"

Bobbi nodded, "Poor thing. Well, I'm sure you'll be happy to know Jack and I are engaged, although we don't talk about it at work, you know how that is."

Tony wanted to shout for joy and also wanted to have a word or two with his partner who for gosh sakes' could have let him know! Instead, he continued his charade, "Oh, that's wonderful, wow, I'm so happy to see other people finding happiness, that's great. Congratulations to both of you."

Jack gave him the fisheye and Tony snapped his mouth shut. _Right, done with that, thank God. _

"Well, shall we get to the cats, then? Ziva, you ready?" Ziva glowered at him, managing to not quite stomp on his foot as she walked by him out the door.

* * *

After lugging all the groceries upstairs, Gibbs started a fresh pot of coffee while Tim unpacked the bags. Jethro the dog wandered in with his leash in his mouth and began nudging Gibbs' hand with his nose.

Feeling the wetness, Gibbs looked down, snorted and turned to Tim, "Now I know where you perfected your cute lil' puppy dog eyes look."

Fluttering his eyelashes and unleashing his own set of puppy dog eyes, Tim smiled, "I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie."

"Oh, I think you do! You're doing it right now."

"I am?" He questioned innocently before leaning over to kiss him. "Don't forget to bundle up, babe. I'll start on dinner."

Growling, Gibbs slipped his coat and hat back on, "The things you do for love," he grumbled and patted his leg for Jethro to follow.

Chuckling, Tim turned his attention back to the asparagus and potatoes. Knowing it would take longer for the potatoes to cook, he took a few out of the bag and began washing and peeling. Once they were sliced and soaking in a pan of water he grabbed the asparagus, cleaned them and placed them on a baking sheet. As he was finishing up with the vegetables, the two Jethros came bounding back inside, each covered in a thin layer of snowflakes.

Pouring a cup of coffee, Tim slipped it into Jethro's hands and kissed him on the cheek, "This should warm you up."

"Ooh really? Cause I know something else that would warm me up a lot faster."

The dog whined and put his paw on Tim's leg, trying to separate the two as Gibbs took Tim into his arms. "You are chilly," Tim shivered as he ran his hands up and down his lover's arms. After a significant amount of whining from the canine the two men pulled away from each other.

Rubbing the dog's ears, Gibbs knelt down in front of him, "Are you jealous because you're not getting any attention?" Following a firm bark, Jethro moseyed over to one of the cabinets and started pawing at the handle.

"You're supposed to get him a treat after his walk, hon."

When the dog heard the word treat he pawed harder at the handle causing them both to laugh. Walking to the cabinet, Gibbs pulled out the package of treats, "I didn't know if he was allowed treats after the whole ham debacle."

"Yeah, he's been punished long enough. I think he'll know never to try and pull a stunt like that again."

Jethro snorted, which Tim knew in doggy language meant 'That's what you think', took the treat from Gibbs' hand and retreated to his bed.

As Tim stood at the counter unwrapping the steaks from the packaging, Jethro came up behind him and wrapped his hands around his waist. Resting his chin on the younger man's shoulder he licked his lips, "Steaks look fantastic, how do you plan on cooking them?"

"I was planning on broiling them, you know, since we can't have the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs steaks cooked cowboy style. Any special marinade you want to make for them?"

"Don't worry, Timmy. Someday soon we'll cuddle around the fireplace and I'll grill you my one and only famous recipe. With the pretty penny I spent on these steaks they shouldn't need anything but a little salt and pepper. The meat should speak for itself without all that extra crap on them."

Grabbing the salt and pepper, Tim lightly coated each side of the steaks and then placed them on the broiling sheet. Turning his head he gave Jethro a peck on the lips, "Thanks for paying for the groceries, that was not necessary."

"C'mon you've given me the best weekend I've had in a long time Timmy. Besides if I'm going to be here to eat half the food and watch as you sway that cute little ass of yours all around the kitchen, I might as well chip in on the cost."

Laughing, Tim replied, "I'll shake my ass for you anytime you want at no cost." He paused and continued, "Well it may cost you something, but certainly not in any monetary form."

Pulling the younger man into his arms, Jethro wrapped his arms around his lover and went in for a kiss. Moaning when their lips connected, Jethro gently forced his tongue inside Tim's mouth exploring every crack and crevice. They played dueling tongues, savoring the taste of coffee until finally coming up for air.

Resting their foreheads together, Tim gave a breathy sigh, "No matter how many times I kiss you it never gets old."

Groaning at the sweet sentiment muttered from his lover's mouth, Jethro kissed the tip of Tim's nose, "My Timmy is such a romantic, isn't he?"

Tim shrugged his shoulders; "It's easy to be romantic when you're in love, Jethro"

Jethro felt a warm, tingling sensation envelop his entire body. Yes, the beautiful man standing before him aroused him, but that wasn't what this feeling was. It was something he hadn't felt in over twenty years and that was love. He was truly, madly, deeply in love with his Timmy.

"I'm in love with you too, Timmy. In fact we need to hurry up and eat so I can show you how much I love you. What can I do to help?"

After setting Jethro up with several tasks, the two moved effortlessly around the kitchen working to complete dinner. There had been some heavy petting but eventually they finished and sat down to eat. Pouring each of them some wine, Jethro raised his glass, "I would like to propose a toast. To the most wonderful partner I could ever ask for. Thanks for loving me despite my flaws and I can't wait to see what life has in store for us. Whether it's good or bad, I will always take your side and do my best to protect you."

"That was so sweet, babe. I'm so glad we decided to take a chance on each other and continue growing closer as our relationship develops." Reaching across the table, Tim grabbed his hand, "I can't wait to spend my life with you and experience life's adventures together. Now let's eat."

"Amen," Jethro responded as he let go of Tim's hand and they both dug in with gusto.

The only noise coming from the apartment was light jazz along with the sounds of forks and knives hitting the plates. Almost half way through their meal, Jethro picked up a spear of asparagus and tenderly fed it to his lover. Pretending it was something other than a vegetable, Tim closed his mouth around the entire spear and smiled. Moaning at the seductive 'deep throating' example he was just treated to, Jethro felt his cock pulsating beneath the fabric of his jeans.

"That was super hot, my love."

Tim laughed, "I knew it would turn you on."

They continued eating, savoring every last bit of the delicious meal. As they were finishing, Tim looked over at Jethro and cleared his throat, "I know how you feel about us and I know how I feel about us but what about Rule #12? I'm worried how the rest of the team is going to react when they find out. Especially Abby, she still feels like she's got a chance with me. Obviously that's the farthest thing from the truth but she's delusional sometimes."

Jethro reached over and took Tim's hands in his own. Rubbing his finger across the top of his knuckles, he finally spoke. "Sweetie, we'll tell the team when we decide it's right. Obviously it's something that needs to happen sooner rather than later, but I'm confident that they will be happy for us."

"And Rule #12?"

"Ah Timmy, I'm allowed to break my own rules. I made that rule a long time ago but the truth of the matter is you can't choose who you fall in love with. As I said, I love you and will do everything in my power to keep you happy. Trust me, it will be okay my love."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tim nodded, "I've always trusted you. This time it's not only with my life when we're out in the field but also with my heart."

Leaning in Jethro captured Tim's lips between his and mumbled; "Don't worry. It's not something I take lightly."

Breaking the kiss, Tim ran his hand through his lover's silky smooth hair, "Not something I take lightly either, babe."

"Good I'm glad that's settled. Wonderful dinner you made, Tim." Licking his lips he continued, "I'm ready for dessert though."

Tim chuckled as he got up from the table and put the dishes in the sink to soak. Opening the refrigerator door he looked over his shoulder, "Why don't you go get naked and I'll come in with dessert."

Before he could say another word Jethro jumped out of his seat and sped out of the kitchen. Grabbing a serving tray from the cupboards, Tim refilled their wine glasses, washed the grapes and strawberries and remembered to grab the whip cream and chocolate sauce. He started walking out of the kitchen and had one last fleeting thought. Setting the tray down on the table, he stripped out of his clothes and picked up the tray again. _That's better_ he thought as he headed for the bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry for the delay, one of us was going through a long distance move and the other was providing much needed moral support. Thanks for your reviews, follows and faves. We love hearing from you!

* * *

Tim sauntered into the bedroom; his cock stirring at the sight of Jethro propped up against the pillows, his cock already at half-mast. Jethro smiled as his eyes began scanning Tim's naked body. Tim set the tray down on the end table and headed towards the bathroom, swaying his hips seductively along the way, an action he knew would get his lover hot and bothered. He was right, as he walked away; Jethro licked his lips as Tim's tight ass punctuated his thin frame. Once the younger man finished his business he returned with a wet and dry washcloth.

"What are those for?"

"In case we get a little out of control, then we don't have to get something to clean up with."

"Oh, it's going to get messy all right. Don't worry though I'll lick every little speck of gooey goodness off and we won't need those wash cloths."

Tim had a twinkle in his eye, "Every bit of gooey goodness?"

Gibbs reached out his hand and when Tim took it he quickly dragged the younger man on top of him; groaning as their cocks rubbed against each other. Straddling the older man, Tim leaned down and captured his lips between his. They started off with slow sensual kisses that rapidly turned into a power struggle, each of them fighting for control as they played dueling tongues. Finally coming up for air, Jethro clamped down on Tim's bottom lip and sucked before breaking the kiss.

"For the record, I love it when you suck on my bottom lip. You need to do that more often, babe."

Gasping for air, Jethro chuckled, "I'll try and remember that next time."

"You ready for dessert?"

Reaching up to tweak Tim's nipples, Jethro looked over at the tray sitting on the table, "I'm ready, but to be honest you are all the dessert that I need."

The younger man gently ran his hand over Gibbs' chiseled cheekbone; "Aww who knew Leroy Jethro Gibbs was such a romantic? You're definitely all the dessert I need too, but I thought it would be fun to try something different."

The image of licking whipped cream and chocolate sauce off his lover's body and the favor being returned was nearly enough to make Tim come there and then. He climbed over the older man and yelped when Jethro playfully swatted his ass and said, "Don't let anyone else know about me being a hopeless romantic, I have a reputation to keep up, you know?"

That earned him an eye roll from Tim who grabbed both glasses of wine and handed one to Jethro. After taking a sip he set it down on the nightstand near his side of the bed and turned back in anticipation of what his lover had planned next. Turning around with bowls of grapes and strawberries, Tim looked around deciding on the perfect place to set them that would be within reach. Noticing his dilemma, Jethro patted the center of the bed and when Tim set them down he immediately took a grape and popped it in his mouth.

"Hey! You're supposed to wait," Tim protested and then picked up his own grape and took a bite.

Jethro chuckled, "I thought I was supposed to wait - that means you're supposed to wait too."

Tim stuck his tongue out and reached back for the whipped cream and chocolate sauce. "Where do you think we should put these?"

Waggling his eyebrows, Jethro leaned in to Tim and whispered, "All over your delicious body, love." Laughing at the lascivious expression on his lover's face, he looked around and not seeing a feasible location, dumped the bowl of grapes in with the strawberries and then held the empty bowl out for Tim to place the containers in.

Placing the bottle of chocolate sauce in the bowl, Tim licked his lips, crawled over and knelt beside his lover. Shaking the can of whipped cream, Tim sprayed some onto his finger and then making eye contact with Jethro seductively sucked it off.

"Mmmm," he hummed as his finger slipped out with a pop.

"Timmy," Jethro growled impatiently as the younger man squirted another dollop of cream onto his finger. The younger man laughed, "Patience, babe."

Hitching one leg over Jethro's stomach, he sat down, moaning as his balls rubbed against the warm skin. Leaning down he traced Jethro's lips with the whipped cream and then using his tongue followed the trail, lapping up the delicious cream. Gibbs' breathing hitched, "Don't stop, Timmy."

Smiling, Tim continued further down and lightly stroked his fingertips along his lover's collarbone. When Jethro squirmed in pleasure, Tim continued the motion a few more times before squirting a line of cream and chocolate sauce along the sensitive area. Before returning to lick his partner clean, Tim covered a strawberry with whipped cream and fed it to Jethro.

Gasping as his lover fully engulfed his fingers in his mouth as he took the strawberry; Tim felt his cock harden as he imagined Jethro's mouth gliding over his cock instead of his fingers. Returning his attention back to his lover's neck, Tim slowly swirled his tongue through the pile of chocolate and cream, using it to create a path down to Jethro's nipple. Lightly blowing on the nipple, Tim grinned as it became aroused. Adding a bit more chocolate, Tim took the nipple into his mouth and whirled his tongue in a counter clockwise motion. Bucking in pleasure, Jethro practically threw Tim off the bed. Lightly slapping him on the thigh, Tim steadied himself and continued sucking on the sensitive nub.

Once he'd laved the entire nipple clean he laid his head on Jethro's chest and listened as his heart raced. The older man ran his hand down Tim's back and grabbed his butt cheek. "Don't get me wrong Timmy, I love snuggling with you but if you don't hurry up I'm going to jump your bones."

Tim laughed, "Calm down, babe. I just need a chance to catch my breath."

Sitting up, Tim grabbed a grape, put one half in his mouth and leaned down. Moaning, Jethro encased his lips around the other half and forced his tongue inside Tim's mouth. Groaning as they passed the grape back and forth between their mouths, Jethro finally swallowed it, eager to continue with their foreplay. Covering the other nipple in chocolate sauce, Tim hummed in pleasure as he took the nub into his mouth and sucked. Peppering the surrounding skin with kisses and nips; Tim smeared the chocolate throughout the mounds of silver chest hair. Pausing to catch his breath, he moaned when he realized a drop of chocolate had fallen onto the head of his cock. Although he was enjoying pleasing his lover, Tim couldn't wait for Jethro to return the favor. Obviously the older man knew what he was thinking because before he knew what was happening, Jethro had grabbed the can of whipped cream and was shaking it.

"Your turn, Timmy."

"Ho…how di…did you know?" Tim stuttered in surprise.

"I know when you're thinking 'Take me now, Jethro' "

Tapping Tim on the hip, he motioned for him to slide off and lay next to him. Propping himself up on one elbow, Jethro ran his fingertips down the length of Tim's body, gently swiped at the offending chocolate and slowly licked it off his finger.

Tim's breathing hitched and he moaned in pleasure when Jethro's hand made contact with his cock.

"Mmm Timmy you taste so good."

Shaking the can of whipped cream, Jethro sprayed two dollops on Tim's nipples and then grabbed the bottle of chocolate sauce, drizzling it over the cream. Picking up two strawberries he placed one over each nipple and licked his lips. Continuing further down, he sprayed some cream in Tim's belly button; grabbed a grape out of the bowl and propped it on top of the whipped cream. Sitting back he groaned as he admired his masterpiece. Tim was shaking in anticipation as Jethro ran the tip of his finger down the middle of his chest.

"You make a damn good dessert, Timmy but I feel there's something missing."

"Just do it already, babe." Tim gasped as Jethro traced his finger along his abs.

"Patience," the older man chuckled and deciding what his lover was missing, shook the can of whipped cream and sprayed a squiggly line down his chest.

"There, that's better, now where should I start?"

Tim growled, "Do it already, the anticipation is killing me!"

Smirking, Jethro stroked Tim's cock, bringing it to attention and then focused on his bellybutton. Picking up the grape, he whirled it in the whipped cream and popped it into his mouth. With the grape out of the way he could get back to business. Leaning down he dipped his tongue into the small hole and swirled it around. Peppering the area with nips, sucks and kisses, Tim whimpered as his lover continued his assault and once he was finished moved further up his chest. Attacking the line of whipped cream with one swoop of his tongue, Jethro leaned down to capture Tim's lips. They both groaned as they shared the whip cream while playing dueling tongues. Breaking the kiss with a final bite to Tim's bottom lip, Jethro chuckled at the mess he'd left on Tim's face. Slowly he laved the remaining whipped cream and couldn't wait to start on Tim's nipples.

Focusing on the right nipple first, he grabbed the strawberry and traced his nipple with it, spreading the previously placed chocolate and cream all over his pectoral muscle. Placing the thoroughly coated strawberry in his mouth, Jethro moaned as he savored the sweet treat.

Quickly swallowing he returned his attention to the nipple and tweaked it. Swirling his finger around in the chocolate, he licked part of it off his finger and offered the rest to Tim.

Humming as he took his lover's finger into his mouth, Tim ran his tongue down the length of Jethro's finger and slowly licked off the remaining chocolate.

Imagining Tim's lips around his cock along with the same motion and pressure being applied was almost enough for Jethro to forget about the foreplay and go straight for the jugular. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he attacked Tim's nipple with his mouth. Taking the nipple between his teeth he gently bit down causing Tim to yelp in pleasure.

"JetHRo, don't stop!" He whimpered, running his hand through his lover's hair.

After laving the right nipple clean he moved to the left side and again coated the strawberry with a combination of sweets. This time offering the fruit to Tim, who already had his mouth open, waiting like a baby bird. Moving back to the nipple he tweaked it with his hand before taking it into his mouth and sucking. As he continued assaulting the sensitive nub he could feel Tim's breathing increase and his body trembling. This is in turn made his own cock start to ache for some much needed release. As he continued an idea popped into his head and he slowly decreased his attack. When Tim noticed he opened his eyes and blushed when he saw Jethro staring at him.

"Why did you stop? It was just getting good!"

"Because I think I have an idea that will keep both our tongues occupied."

"Really?" Tim's excitement level peaked and he was interested in hearing his idea.

"Yep, You're going to have to scoot down a little bit though." Tim eagerly followed orders and scooted down so he was lying flat on the bed. "I think it's time we try a different position, I believe it's called 49."

Tim laughed, "It's called 69, but good try babe."

Grinning at his lover for falling for his tease, Jethro then growled at him, saying "Doesn't matter what it's called, as long as it involves your cock in my mouth and my cock in your mouth."

Jethro got on all fours with his head positioned near Tim's cock while the younger man licked his lips as his lover's cocked bounced above him. Tim had the chocolate sauce while Jethro took the whipped cream and they began coating each others' cock with the topping of their choice. Jethro moaned as he felt Tim thoroughly covering his cock with the sticky substance. When his lover repeated the favor on his own cock, Tim nearly bucked off the bed as Jethro's strong hand massaged his balls and he ran the tip of his finger down his crack. After their cocks were covered, the two men jumped in, sucking as if their lives depended on it.

Deciding to take a slower approach, Tim took the head of Jethro's penis into his mouth and swirled his tongue in a counter clockwise motion. Occasionally he would dip his tongue into the slit, causing Jethro's legs to tremble above him. Grunting when he felt his own cock being swallowed by Gibbs he shivered and moved down to the older man's shaft. He slowly licked from top to bottom, while fondling Gibbs' balls, the slippery chocolate allowing them to slide nicely in between his fingers. Using the chocolate he coated the older man's crack and spread the gooey substance around his hole. His own pleasure drew him away again as he felt his balls deep inside Jethro's mouth and knew that with the mounting pressure coming from deep within along with his own lover's weeping cock it wouldn't be too much longer before they were both pushed over the edge.

Focusing his attention back on Jethro he slowly ran his tongue up his lover's crack several times before swirling it around his hole causing the older man to cry out in delight. Feeling Jethro's balls tighten up in his hand, Tim continued circling his hole, occasionally dipping his tongue inside. When he felt Jethro catch on to what he was doing, he instinctively clenched his butt cheeks together. It felt different but not bad. As Jethro slowly stroked his thigh, he relaxed and waited until he felt Gibbs' tongue poke inside once more. That was all it took for him to start babbling as the nerve endings enjoyed the massage they were treated to by Jethro's tongue.

Covering Tim's cock with the whipped cream, Jethro enclosed his mouth around it as far as it could go and was excited to hear the reaction from his lover. Slowly raking his teeth along the underside as the cock slid out with a pop. He felt his legs tremble as Tim's tongue occasionally dipped into his slit sending the nerves in that area into overdrive. Promptly moving down to his balls, he inserted one and then the other into his mouth, massaging them gently with his tongue as he felt them tighten in his mouth.

Crying out in happiness as Tim's tongue licked his crack, swirled his hole and occasionally dipped inside his passageway, Jethro knew the feeling was one he didn't want Tim to miss out on. Quickly dragging his tongue down Tim's crack, he smiled as the hole quivered in anticipation. Gently licking around it he poked his tongue inside and was startled when Tim clenched his butt cheeks. Rubbing his thigh to relax him, he slowly poked his tongue in again and circled the hole. Chuckling as Tim began babbling in French; Jethro continued the onslaught alternating between his butt crack and hole.

Feeling the pressure building deep within, his balls tightened as Tim continued to suck and lick his most intimate area. Trying to hold on, he continued pleasing his lover until he felt Tim's own balls tighten up. Moving back to Tim's cock he matched the younger man's rhythm as they sucked each other off. Tasting the first spurt of cum as it erupted from Tim's penis was enough to send Jethro over the edge as well. Both coming with a scream, Gibbs collapsed on top of Tim as their bodies shook, riding the waves of their orgasms to completion.

XXX

As the two NCIS agents and the rangers tromped through the snow to the barn, they heard growling and the same noise Tony and Ziva had noticed previously, a very large 'meow'.

Bobbi's eyes widened, "Wow, you weren't exaggerating about big cats, were you? I mean, just from the sounds!"

Ziva shook her head, "No, as I said earlier, Tony found food packages in the freezer marked "linger" which we believe is a crossbreed of a lion and a tiger."

Jack raised his hand to stop them. "We need a plan before we open that door."

"Yesterday we had a body to move out, we threw in food and then managed to get the body out while they ate. Although one of them nearly got us at the door."

"Ok, we can do a variation of that same thing then. These cages are set to trip closed when an animal enters. And there are smaller hatches on the top. We need to bait each cage with food, get it in place and then wait."

"How do we get them all in place? I can see we might get one or two in and baited without getting mauled, but 6 or 8?"

"It is too bad there is no way to make the cats sleep for a brief time, we could place the cages and the bait and wait."

Bobbi looked at Jack and he nodded. "We have a tranquilizing gas that we use; it works the same as the darts we sometimes use for individual animals. The gas will work on as many as 10 big cats."

"That would be great. Do you have any with you?"

"Yeah, every park vehicle is equipped with animal containment tools."

Jack stood in thought, "I'm going to take the truck and plow the way to the barn and then back in. That will make it easier to unload the cages. Where are you taking them once they're in the cages?"

"We don't know yet, the sheriff was going to contact a local large animal vet."

Bobbi nodded, "That's good. So we need to tranq the cats, bait the cages and place them, then wait for a couple of hours for the cats to enter the cages."

Tony paused. "How long will the tranquilizing gas keep them quiet?"

"It's rated for 60 minutes, but on the big cats I've dealt with, it usually it lasts between 35 to 45 minutes."

"And how long to place and bait 8 cages?"

"Between 25 and 30 minutes."

"That is cutting it a bit close, considering you have not worked with this kind of cat before; we don't know if the gas will last as long with them. Can we bait the cages out here and then place them?"

Jack nodded, "That's a good idea, Ziva. The only thing we need to make sure of is that the side with the door faces the interior of the barn and that the bait is at the back of the cage. We don't want the cats to be able to reach in and grab the food without fully entering the cage."

Tony nodded, "We have to be precise in the placements and make sure we don't have a cage smack in front of the doors."

"Yeah, another good point."

"Ok, I'm going to plow and get the truck backed in. It'll take me about 10 minutes to plow to the barn, why don't you three get back into the house. Tony, there's an extra pair of snow pants in the truck if you don't mind wearing Park Ranger colors? And no, they're not mine."

"Thanks Jack, I'd appreciate that."

The two men moved off to the truck while Ziva and Bobbi headed for the warm kitchen. Bobbi started making a pot of coffee while Ziva heated up water for tea. Tony came back in, stopping in the mudroom to remove his borrowed boots. He waved the Ranger snow pants at them as he padded through the kitchen and to 'his' room to change.

Bobbi looked after him and then at Ziva, "So is he still a player?" Ziva laughed, "He has matured somewhat, but yes."

"I think that was the saddest – and lamest – story I've ever heard from a guy."

"I was quite pleased that you remembered." Both women giggled and then stopped abruptly as Tony skidded back into the room now wearing the snow pants.

"Oh look, it's Ranger Tony!" Bobbi smiled at him.

"It is kind of cool. I never thought of being a Park Ranger."

"It's a very different life from yours, that's for certain."

Bobbi poured two mugs of coffee and then gestured to a third mug on the counter, "Did you want some too, Tony?"

He nodded as she handed him the coffee pot. "Here you go." Keeping his thoughts to himself for once, he poured a mug, added some of the cream from the refrigerator, sugar from the bowl and then joined the two women sitting at the table. They just smiled at him; for some reason that made him feel about 2 inches tall. After a couple minutes of silence, they heard the truck and Tony jumped up to look out the window. Jack was doing a quick job of plowing; it wouldn't take him more than another five minutes before he had enough space to turn the truck around and back up to the barn.

Ziva watched Tony first slumping at the table and then jumping up to watch Jack out the window. From his slump, she knew he'd figured out they'd been talking about him. When she saw him move from the window, she gathered their mugs and placed them in the sink.

"I believe Jack is finished plowing, Bobbi."

"Ok, guess we'd better get the food out then."

The three of them gathered around the freezers and dug out more packages marked "linger" food. Tony remembered there had been enough in one package to feed all the cats, but to be safe; they took two packages out with them.

Jack had just finished backing the truck close to the barn and was unloading the cages when they reached him.

While Tony helped Jack line up the cages near the barn, Ziva and Bobbi began opening the packages of food. Once they had them lined up, Bobbi gave a quick lesson on how to bait the cages.

"Let's split up into pairs. Jack why don't you work with Tony and I'll help Ziva."

Tony took a deep breath and sighed; glad he didn't have to work with Ziva or Bobbi for the moment. He needed a break and was glad there was another man around.

Ziva and Bobbi headed down to their set of cages and looking back at Tony, Bobbi giggled, "I figured I would give Tony a break. Don't get me wrong, I love watching him squirm but he looked downright pathetic when we were sitting at the kitchen table."

"Yes, I think he knew we were talking about him. Do not worry, he will get over it."

They worked for the next half hour, baiting each of the cages and upon a suggestion from Jack, put extra food in each cage so they wouldn't have to worry about feeding the cats for a while. Jack and Tony finished before the women, giving them plenty of time to go over their plans once more. Knowing any false move or wrong placement of the cages could spell disaster they double and triple checked all the logistics.

Once the women were finished they all congregated at the ranger's truck as Jack and Bobbi grabbed the tank of gas from the truck and began connecting all the hoses.

Watching as the rangers worked together, Tony realized that preparing the gas was a bit more complicated than he imagined. Grateful to have Jack and Bobbi there to help them, he watched in awe as Jack attached a small hose to the nozzle of the gas container.

"Where do you plan on sticking that hose, it's not that long?"

"That's what she said," Jack snorted and Tony laughed as the two women rolled their eyes.

"This is one of our smaller attachments; of course they vary depending on the situation. I noticed when I was plowing that there's a small crack underneath the door and that's where I planned on feeding the hose into the barn. It will be the safest way for us to gas them without worrying about getting attacked."

Tony nodded his approval as Jack declared they were ready to go with the gas. Walking back towards the barn, the lingers began growling again, no doubt hearing the agents trampling through the crisp snow and perhaps smelling their food.

"After the gas takes effect we have a maximum of 30 minutes to safely get these traps in the barn and get the hell out of there." Jack whispered and after getting a hesitant nod from the group he continued, "We'll split into pairs again, but this time Ziva I'll be with you and Tony and Bobbi can work together."

Ziva began to open her mouth to let Jack know that she and Bobbi were just as capable of moving the cages together as the men were when Tony put a hand on her shoulder.

"Zeevah, we all know you have super human strength but today is not the day to prove it. Besides, Gibbs would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

"I do not need you or Jack looking out for me. We will keep the same pairs we had for baiting the traps. Bobbi and I can do it; I have no doubt about that."

Knowing Ziva wasn't going to back down from her stance, Tony waved his hand at Jack and said, "Don't waste your breath, it won't do any good, she's about as stubborn as they come."

Jack nodded; "I like a woman who has some fight in her, let's do this."

Quietly crouching near the door, Jack inserted the hose underneath the small crack as far as it could go. When he motioned to Bobbi, she turned the handle on the cylinder of gas to the 'on' position and waited.

While he was happy to have help dealing with the cats, Tony hated just standing around not being able to help. Suddenly he had an idea, "There's a window in back, I'll go around and check to see if the lingers are getting sleepy." Grabbing Ziva's arm he pulled her with him, "The window is high, but if you get on my shoulders we should be tall enough so you can see what's going on in there."

When they made it around to the back of the barn and were in position under the window, Tony bent his knee, giving Ziva a platform to step on. Climbing up and getting comfortable she was finally perched on top of his shoulders.

"This is the third time I have been on your shoulders, Tony. Once in a cornfield, once in an elevator and now at a barn."

"I figured you would like to be on top." Tony regrettably teased as Ziva squeezed her thighs around his neck. "Something tells me we've been here before too," he gasped for breath as she continued to squeeze.

"I'm sor sorry…" he stammered as she released the death squeeze from around his neck and peeked inside the window. Relieved to find many of the lingers already showing the effects of the gas, she said, "Do we know how long until they are fully knocked out?"

"I don't know, that would be a good question for Jack and Bobbi. Let's go ask."

Trampling around to the front of the barn, Tony was completely out of breath from carrying the added weight of Ziva through the snow. Jack and Bobbi laughed at the duo's antics and seemingly reading their minds, Bobbi informed them they would have to wait at least another 10 minutes before they could think about entering the barn. Upon hearing that, Tony steadied himself using the barn and dropped down to one knee to allow Ziva to climb off.

After checking the cages again, they headed back out of the snowy cold and into the nice warm house for the additional 10 minutes. With two minutes to spare, they headed out to the barn again and Jack peered in the window just by standing on his tiptoes. Tony was just as happy not to risk the death squeeze again. Jack came back around and nodded at them, "It's time, let's get moving."

Even though the cats had been tranquilized, the rangers still had their tranq. rifles handy just in case. The two federal agents were also armed with their Sigs.

Tony opened the barn door with Bobbi backing him up with her tranq rifle. When nothing attacked them, the four of them quickly started moving the cages into place. Bobbi and Ziva worked well together moving the cages and making sure the bait stayed at the back. They placed their four, handling two apiece and then stood back for a final check.

Tony beckoned to Ziva to switch places with him so that each team was checking out the others' cages, using the 'different sets of eyes' principle. Ziva quickly finished her check on Tony and Jack's cages, everything was perfect. When she looked up, she saw to her horror that Tony had had to move the last cage she'd placed. He turned it as the door had been facing the rear rather than the front. He then quickly moved the bait and tested the door, making sure it was primed to shut. It was and he moved away.

Satisfied, the two men and Bobbi moved quickly out of the barn, Ziva dragging behind them. Tony reached for her and pulled her out just as they heard the first sounds of awakening cats. They slammed the doors and hurried to the house as quickly as they were able through the snow.

Once they got inside the kitchen, Ziva started muttering in Hebrew. Bobbi hadn't paid any attention to what Tony was doing with the cage and was concerned.

"Ziva, what is it, what's wrong?"

"I was wrong, Bobbi, I made a mistake with the last cage, Tony had to fix it for me."

"Well, but that's ok because he caught it and fixed it, that's the important part."

Ziva clenched her jaw and nearly bit her tongue keeping her anger at herself from exploding outwards. _How could she have missed or was it mashed or mussed up like that?_ _She never made errors like that – and Tony, of all people, TONY found it and had to fix it for her. _ She wasn't sure whether she was angrier with herself or with him for finding it.

Bobbi saw the angry body language and backed off; she and Jack made their way to the living room. Tony stood looking at his partner. Apparently she was so unused to making a mistake that she didn't know how to handle it. For once he decided not to say anything, it was definitely not yet tease material; from the anger nearly dripping off of her, it might never be. And they weren't home yet, they had to wait for the cats to go for the bait, then they had to get them, in their cages, into someone's care, have the body shipped to Ducky and after all that there was the long drive home. While Tony was watching, Ziva still muttering in what he thought might be Mandarin, pushed through the kitchen doorway and quick marched herself down the hall to 'her' room. Tony wondered if she was going to stand in the corner there or somehow punish herself further.

With a start, DiNozzo realized he hadn't yet contacted Gibbs. He pulled out his phone and pressed the contact button for their boss.


	11. Chapter 11

AUL Chapter 11

Previously in An Unexpected Love: _With a start, DiNozzo realized he hadn't yet contacted Gibbs. He pulled out his phone and pressed the contact button for their boss._

And now:

Coming down from his sexual high, Tim could hear what he believed was a phone ringing. He was about to ignore it, but then felt Jethro stir from where he had collapsed on top of him. Jethro didn't want to answer but with Tony and Ziva dealing with a case a few hours away, he didn't have a choice. Blearily looking around for his phone he slowly slid off Tim, yelping as the sticky chocolate pulled on his body hair. Exhausted he crawled towards the night stand and looked at the caller ID. Sighing as he collapsed onto the bed he gruffly answered, "Gibbs."

_"Boss? You ok? You sound exhausted."_

"Don't worry about it, DiNozzo. Got a report for me?"

_"Yeah. The rangers brought their truck with the large cat cages and helped us bait the cages. They put the critters to sleep with a tranquilizing gas and that gave us time to set the cages in the barn with the bait. Now we're waiting for a couple of hours to make sure the cats are all in the cages."_

"Good job calling them in, DiNozzo. What happens to them next? "

_"We're still waiting to hear from the Sheriff, he promised to contact the local large animal vet so he could handle them."_

"Heard anything from either the Sheriff or the Vet today?"

_"No Boss, but thought I'd better give you an update before I contact the Sheriff again."_

"Still snowing bad down there?"

_"No, it's not snowing now but it's a mess."_

"Ok, get cracking with that sheriff and keep me posted. How you two holding up, ok?"

_"Yeah, we stayed in the house here last night, it was warm and there's food."_

Gibbs laughed, "As long as you get fed, Tony, that's what counts. Get those cats to somebody and get yourselves home."

_"Will do Boss."_

Gibbs clicked off and looked at Tim. "They're still stuck down there, got some big ass cats they have to place somewhere."

Tim snickered, "They've been together for two days; I'm surprised Ziva hasn't fed Tony to the cats already."

Leaning over Jethro captured Tim's lips between his and mumbled, "Oh, I'm sure she's already tried."

Breaking the kiss, Jethro took a long look at the messes on both of their bodies. "I'll tell you what Timmy." He paused and licked his lips, "That was the best dessert I've ever had."

Leaning his head down on Jethro's chest, Tim gently ran his fingers through the older man's sticky chest hair. "It was the best dessert I've ever had too, babe."

Licking the remaining bits of chocolate off his fingers he yawned and snuggled closer to his lover. Pulling the sheet over them, Jethro kissed the top of Tim's head before following him into a peaceful sleep.

XXX

Tony clicked the phone shut, having been cut off, as usual, by Gibbs. Looking at his watch, he saw that they had another hour and a half to go before they would look back at the cats. Sighing, he scrolled through his phone to the number for the local sheriff and called him again.

The phone rang a few times before someone picked up. _"Sheriff's Department."_

"Yes, this is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS. I spoke with the sheriff about a murder here and getting some help with the big cats? He was going to contact the local large animal vet to come get them. We haven't heard anything yet."

_"Agent DiNozzo…I don't have any notes here about that, let me call the Sheriff and give you a call right back. "_

"Uh no, I'll stay on the line. I need the coroner to come get the deceased and get him transported to DC as well as having someone take care of these cats."

_"Cats?"_

"Yes, they're a hybrid that's illegal to own in the US, called "Lingers" a cross between a lion and tiger."

"_Wow, those must be some pretty fierce cats."_

"Yeah, you were going to call the sheriff?"

_"Doing that now, Agent DiNozzo. What agency again?"_

"NCIS."

_"Never heard of it." _

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service, we work with the Navy and the Marine Corps."

_"Oh the sheriff is a former Marine, he'll like that."_

"When you talk to him which is going to happen now, right?"

_"Uh yeah, sure, hang on."_

Tony shook his head, wondering if there was any Ibuprofen in the house as he had a killer headache.

It took a few minutes but eventually the Sheriff was patched through the line.

"_Agent DiNozzo, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but with all the snow I've had my hands full. How can I help NCIS? I'm a former marine and anything I can do to get justice for one of my comrades, I'll do it."_

"Good to know Sheriff. Did you have any luck with the large animal vet in the area? We've tranquilized the cats and have cages ready once they take the bait but they need to go somewhere sooner rather than later."

"_I haven't been able to get in contact with our large animal vet but I did talk to Dr. Williams who is a small animal vet in the area and told him the situation. He's already spoken with the National Zoo in Washington DC and they'll be out first thing in the morning, weather permitting, to transport the cats back there for the time being."_

Tony ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. "That's excellent, sir. Thank you. We're also going to need a body transport back to DC; did you speak with the local coroner?"

"_Yes, his name is Fred Smith and he's agreed to pick the body up in the morning and drive it back to DC for you. I'll of course need your location so I can pass it on to the zoo folks as well as Fred but everything will be set for tomorrow Agent DiNozzo."_

"Thank you, sir. NCIS really appreciates all your help in this matter."

"_My pleasure, sir._"

When Tony finished giving the address of their location there was silence on the other end of the line.

"Hello? Anybody there?" He asked as he wanted the sheriff to repeat the address for him so there wouldn't be any confusion the next day.

"_Uh, yes, Agent DiNozzo I'm still here but I'm puzzled as to why you're at the house of our large animal vet_."

"Because that's where the lingers and the deceased are located."

Suddenly Tony realized what the sheriff was referring to. "You said you've been trying to reach the vet and have been unsuccessful right? "

"_That's correct. No wonder, the poor man is dead that's why I haven't been able to make contact_."

"We don't know that for sure, does Fred know what the vet looks like?"

"_Yeah, they've known each other for years._"

"All right, that will help, Sheriff, thanks again."

"_You all need anything out there? I should have asked when you called before_."

"We're pretty much camped out in the house here, so as long as no one objects to that, we're all right. We called in some National Park Rangers we know to help us cage the cats and they're here now, helping us."

"_Hadn't thought of that, Agent DiNozzo; that was very resourceful of you._"

"Thanks Sheriff; when you work for our boss, also a former Marine, you learn how to think on your feet or get out of the way. "

The sheriff chuckled. "_On the off chance the deceased isn't Dr. Shiner, I'll continue trying to call him_."

"Thanks and what is Dr. Shiner's first name please?"

"_Uh, his first name is John. He goes by Jack, though_."

"So his legal name is John Shiner but he goes by Jack Shiner? I see. All right, Sheriff, will you be joining everyone here in the morning?"

"_Yes, I will, Agent DiNozzo, this happened on my turf and I've totally dropped the ball on it, grateful to you for handling all of it._"

"As long as we had a warm place to stay and food to eat, Sheriff Brown!"

The two men disconnected and Tony wandered back into the kitchen stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of Jack and Bobbi in the throes of a passionate make out session. In fact they were so involved it took Tony clearing his throat three times until the pair realized they were being watched and pulled away from the kiss.

Bobbi blushed, "I'm so sorry. Jack and I haven't had too much time together lately and..."

Tony put his hand up to stop her, "Nice to see everyone else is having fun but me."

Using the back of his hand to wipe the excess saliva from his lips, Jack stammered, "You..ou're n n not going to report this, are you?"

Although it was unprofessional, Tony knew he'd also done some unprofessional things on the job before and been given a second chance. Jack and Bobbi had been lifesavers to them and there was no way he'd throw them under the bus now.

Pouring a glass of water, he chugged it and laughed, "No, I'm not going to report this. If it weren't for you, Ziva and I would still be trying to figure out what to do with the cats. Consider this your lucky day. Although next time I would recommend saving all of that until you know for sure you're alone."

Sighing in relief they both sagged back against their chairs. "We appreciate it, Tony. Were you able to get in contact with the local authorities?"

"Yes, I did Bobbi. Talked to the sheriff and everything is all set for tomorrow. The lingers are being transported to the National Zoo and the local coroner is taking the body back to NCIS."

Tony took a deep breath after all that and then realized Ziva was still absent. He contemplated checking on her, but first he needed to update the Boss again. He pressed Gibbs' contact button and quickly gave the man the update, including the possibility of the dead guy here being the local large animal vet. Gibbs wanted to know what the connection could be between Kroudle and Shiner and DiNozzo realized he'd left out an important fact, that this property was the home of Dr. Shiner and they were here in the first place because of Kroudle's numerous calls to the phone line here. He quickly rectified his error and Gibbs told him to find out if they were both involved with the big cats, maybe they had gotten into the black market and then the boss abruptly disconnected.

Tony sighed, that had been the easier update, now to move on to his partner who had been so angry with herself for a mistake that she'd pretty much barricaded herself in her room. Giving himself a few minutes to think, he poured himself a cup of coffee, doctored it up and joined Jack and Bobbi at the table. They were talking and kept on going while he sat in thought. Finally drinking the last of the hot brew, he placed his mug in the sink and walked down the hall.

Knocking on Ziva's door, he was pleasantly surprised when she opened it. "Ziva, need to update you on the case." She nodded and joined him in the hallway; turning he led her to the living room, a warmer and more comfortable place to talk. He brought her up to date with his conversation with the sheriff about Dr. Shiner, the fact that this was his home, the coroner's arrival tomorrow to transport the body and the anticipated arrival of the National Zoo to take the lingers off their hands. She was impressed with the work he'd gotten done, although she'd rather bite her tongue off before she told him that.

Although the time was closer to 'cat time', there were still several minutes left, so the two of them wandered back to the kitchen to once again join Bobbi and Jack.

XXX

Gibbs was awakened by a long warm tongue gliding over his fingers; assuming it was Tim he smiled and snuggled deeper into the pillow. Suddenly he heard panting and realizing it wasn't Tim who was licking his fingers, opened his eyes only to be staring into the big brown eyes of his namesake. Immediately jerking his hand back, the movement caused Tim to stir beside him.

"What's wrong, babe?" He mumbled groggily and blearily opened his eyes.

"Jethro was licking the leftover sweets off my fingers and I thought it was you initiating another round of fun."

Tim laughed, "Can you blame him? Anybody would love to lick a delicious treat off your strong muscular hands."

Laying a kiss to Tim's forehead, Jethro chuckled, "Good answer, Timmy." Looking back at the canine, who had his head cocked and his tongue hanging out of his mouth, Jethro patted him on the head and jokingly said, "Don't do that again, dog."  
Propping himself up, Tim traced Jethro's lips with his tongue and then slowly captured his lips with his own. Finally coming up for air he mumbled against Jethro's lips. "Did that make up for it?"  
Raising his eyebrows, Jethro hummed, "Maybe I'll have to think about it. Any idea what my namesake could want?"

"Yeah, he probably needs to go outside."

Jethro grumbled, wrapped his arm around Tim's waist and pulled him closer, "What happens if I don't want you to leave?"

Running his hand through Jethro's hair, Tim chuckled, "Then you get to clean up the mess he makes and who knows it could be number 1 or number 2."

Groaning, Jethro loosened his grip as Tim scooted over to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge. Slowly standing up, Tim's legs wobbled and he grabbed hold of the night stand to steady himself. Looking up he saw the concern in his lover's eyes and smiled, "Relax, Jethro. I'm fine but you certainly rocked my world and my aching body is proof of that."

Smirking, Jethro sat up, flung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, "As you did mine, Timmy. I'm coming with you, will give me a chance to get some fresh air and keep an eye on you."

Throwing the older man a pair of sweats and shirt to put on for their quick walk, the two were soon dressed and headed out the door with canine Jethro happily leading the way for his two humans.

He led them to his favorite park; the one Gibbs had driven them home from recently, and onto his preferred trail, which was no trail at all. His preference was to just follow squirrel smell through the trees, dragging both humans after him. However, he was brought up short by a sharp command from his Master, and he sighed, knowing that meant he just needed to do his business, no extra fun. He whined a bit and was given a pat. He finally found just the right combination of rock, leaves and tree and marked the spot, straining at the leash afterward at the continued scent of squirrel. His humans had other ideas and he obediently followed the orders he was given and led them back home.

As Tim and Gibbs entered the apartment with doggy Jethro, they heard a phone ringing. Not sure which phone it was, they parked the dog in the living room with a firm order to stay and hurried into the bedroom, looking for either phone. Their devices were not on the nightstands where the men thought they should be and Gibbs was on the floor looking for his when Tim called, "Found it, it's mine!" Jethro looked up to see his lover, half buried in sheets and blankets, holding his phone up and sure enough, it was ringing. Tim took a deep breath and answered it.

"Hi, Ducky."

"_Timothy, I was getting a bit concerned, did I wake you?"_

Tim thought fast and he looked over at Jethro, grinning. Jethro, not sure what he was up to, just smiled back and listened.

"Well, I was in the living room, Ducky and it's still taking me a while to move and I sure am not moving with any speed yet."

"_Oh my dear boy, I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps you should stay home tomorrow as well, hmmm?"_

Tim looked over at Gibbs and winked. "Boss isn't going to be too happy about that Ducky."

"_I have not yet spoken with him, Timothy, but given the circumstances, my word, two auto accidents in one day and then having to sleep on the floor of that old and cold shack, I'm sure he'll understand."_

"Well, if you think that's best?"

"_I do, dear boy, we need you in your usual excellent shape to chase down the bad guys."_

"All right, Ducky. You'll tell Boss, though, right?"

"_Yes, indeed I will, young man. Now how are you set for provisions, do you have enough food? Do you need help with that dog of yours?"_

"Uh, no, thanks Ducky, I have enough food and the dog walker is helping with Jethro."

By this time Tim had crossed his fingers, the old childhood way of negating a lie. After all, he did have plenty of food and the dog walker had helped with Jethro.

_"Very well then, lad, I'll let you get back to taking it easy. Shall I stop by tonight?_"

"If you feel you need to, Ducky, but I'm pretty sure I'll just be asleep, that's what is sounding good right now."

"_Well, perhaps not then, it is rather chilly out and a good read in front of a fire sounds very tempting."_

"I'll be all right, Ducky, no need to worry about me, I just need a little more time."

"_All right, dear boy, you've convinced me! I shall call you tomorrow to see how you're faring."_

"Thanks Ducky, enjoy that fire!"

Finally the call was ended and Tim looked at Gibbs, who was grinning at him. "He wanted to come over?"

"Yes, but then he decided it was a great evening to read in front of the fire."

"Good. So you're off duty tomorrow?"

"His suggestion, Jethro, not mine."

"What was all the crap about me not being happy?"

"He'd be suspicious if I didn't worry about your reaction, Jethro, been a pattern with me, heck with all of us, for years."

"I'm not that…" Tim gave him a look and Jethro grinned, "God that gets me so hot Timmy, when you give me that look." He advanced on his lover and was just reaching for him when another phone was heard ringing. Cursing, he dug under 'his' pillow and found his phone.

"Yeah, Gibbs."

_"Jethro, it's Ducky."_

"Oh yeah, Duck, I see that now, took me awhile to find my phone."

_"Are you quite all right my friend?_"

"Oh yeah sure, fine, you know me, Duck."

_"I do know you and you've told me you were fine when you had blood running down your face, so don't think you're fooling me!"_

"Uh, ok, Doctor, whatever you say."

_"Now, how are your head and arm?"_

"Ok I guess, still hurting a bit."

Ducky snorted, _"Which likely means you have a raging headache and your arm is very painful."_

"Huh, well as you said, you know me, Duck."

_"I most certainly do. Now, Jethro, I just spoke with Timothy and I've ordered him to stay home again tomorrow. I'm passing that same order to you. We need you to be in your usual excellent shape to bring down the bad guys, not limping around with a headache. "_

"Not limping, Duck, well not much."

_"Yes, I can only imagine. Do not show your face at NCIS tomorrow, Jethro."_

"Ok, ok, Duck. You going to tell Vance or want me to call him?"

"_I shall call him, let him know both of you need another day."_

"Duck, is McGee really all right, did he say he needed anything?"

_"I asked and he did not, said the dog walker is helping with doggy Jethro and he had plenty of food. He'll be fine, Jethro."_

"All right, glad to hear that."

_"Well then, I must be going. I'll call Director Vance and will give you a call tomorrow afternoon to see how you're doing."_

"Tomorrow afternoon, that's good, Duck, thanks."

He ended the call and put the phone on the nightstand where it belonged and looked at Tim, grinning. "We are so playing hooky, lover boy!"

"Yeah we are and we didn't even have to lie, Ducky convinced himself." Jethro grunted and pulled his man in for a deep kiss.

XXX

Monday morning rolled around and after being stranded for two days with large cats, a dead body and each other, Tony and Ziva were anxious to finish this part of the investigation and head home. Following a hot shower, Tony licked his lips as the smell of eggs, toast and coffee wafted through the vents up to 'his' room. After quickly dressing he practically flew down the stairs in anticipation of a hot breakfast. Ziva was standing at the stove finishing the eggs when he bounded down the last few stairs and sniffed the air, "Smells delicious Ziva. Please tell me you made enough for both of us."

"Yes I did, Tony. I figured we probably had a long day ahead of us and what better way to start than a hot breakfast."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Ziva. I've been craving eggs since yesterday's disaster." Pouring a cup of coffee, he added cream and then asked, "Anything I can do to help? Perhaps something that doesn't involve cooking?"

She chuckled lightly as the bread popped out of the toaster. Motioning to the butter she said, "If you think you can handle buttering the toast then go for it."

Scoffing, he yelped as he pulled the piping hot bread out of the toaster, dropped it on a plate and muttered, "Of course I can butter toast."

Soon after Ziva was dishing out two plates of eggs accompanied by the toast and they were sitting down to eat. Taking his first bite Tony hummed in delight and proceeded to shovel eggs into his mouth. Looking over at her partner, Ziva rolled her eyes before settling in with her own plate. They ate in companionable silence until Tony's phone buzzed. Flipping it open he had a text message from the sheriff saying that the coroner was on his way and should be there in thirty minutes. Wondering about the ETA on the folks from the National Zoo, he sent a message back confirming he'd received the information about the coroner and asked if the sheriff knew how long it would be until the arrival of the linger wranglers.

Finishing his meal and cleaning up the dishes, something he could safely handle, Tony was still waiting to hear back about the cat wranglers when the Coroner's van pulled up. Wiping his hands dry, Tony grabbed his jacket and headed outside with Ziva to meet the man. The coroner climbed out of the van and greeted the two agents. "Howdy! I'm Fred Smith. I'd welcome you to Fort Valley but I think it's way too late for that. "

Tony nodded at the man, "Hello Mr. Smith, I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and this is Special Agent Ziva David. Thanks for helping us out with this."

"Oh sure, happy to help. I understand you two have been stuck here all weekend."

"Yes, yes, we have, it's been an adventure." Ziva pointed toward the outbuilding, "We moved the deceased to that building from the crime scene as we were worried the big cats in the barn would eat the body."

The coroner paled, "Yes, I can see why that would be a worry. What kind of big cats?"

"The sheriff told us this place belongs to Dr. Shiner; I'm hoping you will be able to tell us whether the deceased is in fact Shiner." Tony deflected the man's question about the cats as it was not the coroner's concern and they still did not know who else was involved in Kroudle's death, not to mention the unidentified dead man.

"Oh certainly. I've known him for years. Not friends by any means, but I do know what he looks like." Tony nodded and the three walked toward the outbuilding and the body. Once they reached the building and entered, Ziva led them to the tarp wrapped body and, remembering which way the body had been placed and carried, peeled back part of the tarp to reveal the face of the dead man. Mr. Smith shook his head, "No, that's not Jack Shiner. I don't know who this is, but it's definitely not Shiner. This man is too young and the facial structure is different, even his hair is the wrong color. Shiner's nose was broken in a bar fight a few years ago and this nose has no damage to it."

DiNozzo and David glanced at each other, disappointed but not surprised. Nothing about this case had been clear or easy so far, why should this be any different? The coroner went back out to move his van closer. As he backed the vehicle up to the building, a large truck, roughly the same size as the Park Ranger's truck, pulled in. The logo on the side identified it as belonging to the National Zoo. Tony was very happy to see them, this meant the cats would be handled, the body on its way to Washington and they could finally leave for home themselves. He and Ziva had a quick conversation, agreeing to split their efforts. Tony would work with the cat wranglers and Ziva would oversee the removal and imminent transportation of the deceased.

The zoo people were friendly, businesslike and very interested in the lingers. When they heard the tale of the tranquilizing, baiting and moving the cages in place and then the seemingly endless wait to ensure they were in the cages, they were suitably impressed. "That was smart to call in the Park Rangers, I doubt even a large animal vet would have that many big cat cages."

Tony nodded, remembering he needed to let Gibbs know that had been Ziva's idea.

"Ok, let's see what we've got. I take it you haven't fed them today?"

"No, however we put extra food in the cages yesterday."

"Ok, we may need to gas them again and throw some food into the cages. Let's take a look…uh, that's us, you need to stay outside, please sir." Tony held up his hands, he certainly wasn't going to challenge that.

The wranglers came back out to their truck in a few minutes, picked up a gas canister and beckoned Tony over. "Do you remember where the nozzle was placed the first time?"

"Yeah, there's a crack – just there." Tony pointed out the crack Jack had spotted and used the previous day.

"Great, that's perfect, thanks."

Within minutes, the gas had been released, Tony had handed over the rest of the linger food and the wranglers were busily unwrapping it and cutting it into chunks that would fit in the smaller doors at the top of the cages. They re-entered the barn, stuffed the food in and then while the cats were still out, started loading the cages into the truck. Two of the wranglers stayed in the truck, securing each cage as it was brought in. The cats were just beginning to stir as the last two cages were loaded in and secured. As they were finishing, Tony received a text from the Sheriff that he'd been called out on an emergency, would probably stop by later. Sighing and shaking his head as they hopefully wouldn't be here later, Tony answered the text with that information. He then signed off on the paperwork for the cats and the truck took off for what he supposed would be a very noisy trip back to DC.

In the meantime, Fred Smith had loaded the body into his van and had also departed for DC to deliver the body to the NCIS Autopsy suite.

Ziva and Tony looked at each other. Finally they were done here. Thinking through everything that had happened and been said, Tony finished his thought process out loud. "This is Dr. Shiner's house, probably his cats, and he's missing – or at least unaccounted for, not answering his cell. We need to search his house, Ziva; we have probable cause with the dead guy and the cats."

She nodded and the two of them first packed up all their own belongings and then snapped on disposable gloves and got to work.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Both of us would like to thank those of you who are reviewing for taking the time to do so. It means a lot to us to see your thoughts about our story.

* * *

Tony sighed as Ziva once again played with the radio. They were almost to DC after a long drive and he just wanted to drop her off…somewhere, anywhere…and go home. Between the coroner, the zoo and their search of the house and a surprise last minute visit from the Sheriff, they hadn't gotten started for home until mid-afternoon. Consequently they were now stuck in commute traffic with evidence that needed to be delivered to the Navy Yard and Abby's Lab. It wasn't much, a desktop computer and a few odds and ends, but evidence was evidence.

Ziva had spoken with Gibbs earlier and had been surprised and concerned that both the boss and McGee had not yet recovered from the accident and forced overnight in the old shack last week. She and Tony discussed it, thinking they could understand McGee needing another day, he had been in two accidents in one day, but they didn't remember Gibbs ever needing a 'sick day', unless he was unconscious in a hospital.

Reaching over Tony grabbed Ziva's hand, as she was ready to flip to yet another station. Promptly batting his hand away she continued her search for the perfect selection.

"You're giving me a headache, can't you find one station and stick with it?"

"I cannot help it that as we are traveling we lose the signal from the last station we were listening to."

"Pick a station or we won't be listening to any music the rest of the ride home. With this traffic it's probably a good thing Boss isn't with us, he'd be going nuts."

Ziva was quiet for a moment and she slumped back against the seat. "Speaking of Gibbs, did he appear distracted when you talked to him on the phone this weekend?"

Tony didn't even need to think back to remember. Every time he talked on the phone with the older man he didn't seem like himself. Normally Gibbs was focused when it came to work, but that certainly wasn't the case this weekend. At first he assumed it was because Gibbs had been injured and didn't feel like hearing all the extra information but as the weekend went on the man appeared more and more distracted. He looked over at Ziva who was awaiting an answer.

"Yes, every time I spoke with Gibbs it was like he wasn't listening or even cared about what was going on. You're not the only one who noticed that."

"What would distract him from a case, Tony? I have not experienced this before."

"I have but it's been a long time. When I first joined NCIS, he was seeing a redh…Ziva, that's it, he's seeing someone."

"Seeing someone?" She paused for a moment while she thought that through. "Yes, that does make sense. We worked over the weekend, but he was recovering and so was not at the office. So whoever he is seeing, she was at his home, perhaps helping him to recover."

Tony grinned, "You think so?"

"I did not mean it like that, Tony, why must your mind always go straight to the storm drain?"

"Storm drain? Do you mean gutter, Ziva? All these years and you still can't figure out American idioms!" Ziva huffed and the two set off on one of their favorite disagreements.

While they were arguing, traffic cleared up and suddenly Tony saw they were approaching their exit but they were in the wrong lane. For once he wished Ziva were driving. Taking a deep breath, he drove like Gibbs and Ziva and cut through three lanes of traffic to make their exit. Ziva looked at him, her eyes shining. "Tony, I did not know you had that in you." She was nearly purring and Tony felt alarmed more than anything else. Trying not to visibly shudder, he concentrated on his driving and within a few minutes they were pulling up at the front gate. Once they got through, Ziva called Abby to tell her they were aboard the Yard with evidence on the Kroudle case. Abby had been just about to leave for the day as she was exhausted from her long ski weekend, but agreed to stay a few minutes to sign in the evidence. She would meet them in the evidence garage with a cart for the computer.

* * *

Looking at his watch, Jethro sighed, glancing down at Tim who was currently asleep and using his chest as a pillow. He was glad they'd taken the extra day off to regroup and spend the day cuddled up on the couch watching a marathon of Old Western movies. He hated having to wake his lover, but they had agreed they would spend the night at his house since there was only one car and he needed new clothes for work in the morning. With the sun setting and the roads getting icy after dusk he wanted to get on the way sooner rather than later.

Gently shaking the younger man he leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Timmy, sorry babe but you need to wake up. It's after five and we need to get going to my place."

Blearily opening his eyes, Tim grumbled about wanting another five minutes and snuggled closer to Gibbs. Laying a kiss to Tim's forehead, Jethro chuckled, "Nope, you need to get up now Tim. You can sleep once we get to my house."

Resigned to the fact Jethro wasn't going to allow him any more time to sleep, Tim stretched lazily and looked up to meet Jethro's piercing blue eyes gazing lovingly at him.

"Have I told you how much I love waking up next to you, Jethro?"

"You might have mentioned it a few times."

Tim grinned, "Call me a hopeless romantic, but this is the best part of a relationship. Don't get me wrong the sex has been phenomenal; " he paused and continued, "uncomfortable at times since we're both still getting used to it, but this is the part I enjoy, being held in your warm strong arms and getting to know each other better."

Responding with a gentle kiss, Jethro squeezed his knee in reassurance, "Relationships can't be all physical. Well they can be, but then it's not a relationship it's just attempting to fill an empty void." Removing his arm from around Tim's shoulder he grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch.

"Go get packed up while I wash the dishes from breakfast."

"Aye, aye, sir." Tim saluted as he headed towards his bedroom to collect clothes for the following day. He packed a garment bag and made sure his go bag had everything he might need. Next he packed a bag of treats and toys for doggy Jethro, having already arranged to drop him off at the dog walker's on their way to Jethro's house.

Returning to the living room, he whistled for the dog, who trotted out of the kitchen, a piece of egg on his snout. "Jethro, have you been in the garbage again boy? You know that's bad!" The dog whined and cocked his ears; Tim had always suspected that was the dog's attempt to look cute and innocent. "Ok, get your leash; we're going to your second favorite place." Jethro gave a yip and retrieved his leash, carrying it over to Tim who clipped it on his collar. Human Jethro watched from the kitchen, amused by the dog's antics. The dishes done and the kitchen clean, the two men put their jackets on and grabbed their bags, the dog and his bag and stepped out into the cold, locked the door and continuing to the agency sedan. Tim had brought a blanket for doggy Jethro to sit on in the back seat, keeping the dog hair to a minimum. They made quick work of dropping the dog off and then headed to Arlington and Jethro's house.

Once they had their bags inside, Jethro turned the thermostat up and listened for the furnace to kick in. Then he built a fire in the fireplace, thinking they could cuddle in its warmth. He checked the refrigerator and freezer, "Timmy, what do you want for dinner, we have a few choices."

"And they are?"

"There's frozen burritos, a frozen lasagna, cold cuts for sandwiches, bacon, pancakes, or…I think I have…yep, here it is, I have some steak here."

Tim pretended to think, knowing what his lover would want and he had to admit it sounded pretty delicious to him too. "You have any potatoes?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's have the steak and some baked potatoes. We burned a lot of calories this weekend, Jethro, can't go back to work looking all puny and weak!" Both men laughed and Jethro pulled the steaks out of the freezer. "Ok, will just take me a few minutes to defrost them and then I'll cook them over the fire." "Going to put the potatoes in the fire too, Jethro?" "Sometimes I do but tonight I think I'll pop them in the oven, that'll help warm us up."

Tim smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss, "I can think of lots of other ways to warm us up, love." Jethro enjoyed the kiss and then pulled back, "Have to get these defrosted, Timmy, here you kiss them because I gotta tell you, your kisses would thaw the coldest thing on earth."

As intimate as they'd been, exploring and pleasuring each other's bodies, the compliment from Jethro had Tim blushing and hot all over.

"Keep talking like that Jethro and we won't make it to dinner."

Jethro smiled, he loved seeing Tim get hot and bothered by his words. It was one of the qualities he loved about him. The past nine years Tim had been on his team, any praise or recognition he'd received would make him automatically blush and become flustered. It was adorable and he made a mental note to continue giving him compliments.

"There are some potatoes in the cupboard, why don't you wash them and get them ready for the microwave."

Tim nodded; walking over to the cupboard he stopped dead in his tracks when he recognized the painting he'd done during his enforced second childhood. It was still hanging on the refrigerator door. He traced his finger over the splotches of dry paint and swallowed the lump in his throat. Realizing it had become extremely quiet, Jethro turned around to find Tim staring at the artwork.

"You okay?"

When there was no response from Tim, Jethro stopped what he was doing and walked over to the younger man. Gently putting his hand on his shoulder so not to startle him, he repeated his question. "Timmy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Tim whispered as he ran his fingertips over the painting one more time.

Wrapping his arms around Tim's neck, Jethro pulled him back against his chest and rested his chin on his shoulder. "You want to talk about it?"

Leaning into the embrace, Tim nodded, "I just realized this is the first time I've been here since I was a, well you know, baby."

"Sorry, Timmy. I didn't even think about that. Do you want to go back to your place? I can put the fire out and get some clothes ready if you'll be more comfortable the..."

"NO!" Tim blurted out before Jethro had a chance to finish. There was silence for a moment and Jethro could feel Tim's shoulders begin to relax as he started speaking again, "I'll be fine. I just...I just...can't believe that you kept my painting."

"Of course I did Tim. That week was very special to me; I'll have this painting for the rest of my life. If it makes you feel uncomfortable I can put it away though."

Reaching up, Tim squeezed Jethro's forearm in reassurance, "No, keep it out. It's special to both of us."

Covering Tim's hand with his own, Jethro rubbed his thumb across his knuckles, stopping when the microwave beeped signaling the steaks were finished defrosting.

"That's my cue." Walking over to the cupboard Jethro pulled out something that looked like a dishtowel only folded over and with some fabric sewn inside and handed it to Tim. Confused, the younger man cocked one eyebrow, "What's this for? Looks like a shoe bag."

"It's a potato pocket, one of my exes left it behind, but I'm not complaining it can cook a potato in the microwave in just a few minutes, beats an hour in the over anytime. Just wash the potatoes off, put them in the pocket and pop them in the microwave for 8 minutes. Then, voila, you have baked potatoes. The steaks won't take too long to cook so this is the best way to do them tonight."

Tim shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever you say my love. Go put the steaks on, I can handle this."

After Jethro retrieved the steaks from the microwave, Tim grabbed a few potatoes out of the bag in the cupboard and went to work cleaning them. Quickly drying them he stuffed both potatoes in the pocket and placed it in the microwave. Setting the timer to eight minutes, he hit the start button and began rummaging through the cupboards for plates and silverware. Effortlessly moving around the kitchen, he felt as comfortable here as he did in his own home. Glancing at the timer there was still four minutes until the potatoes were done so he went to join Jethro in the family room. Upon entering he couldn't help but stare at the older man's ass as he bent over to flip the steaks.  
"Like what you see, Timmy?" Jethro asked with his back still turned towards the younger man.  
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Tim joined his lover in front of the fire, "Of course I do and how did you know?"  
Jethro laughed, "I heard you come in and when you didn't join me right away by the fire I figured something distracted you."  
Blushing, the radiating heat caused Tim's face to darken further as he set the plates and silverware down on the coffee table. "How much longer until the steaks are done?"

"Few minutes, did you find something to drink in the fridge? There's some beer if you want. What's mine is yours Timmy."  
Hearing the microwave beep, Tim headed back to the kitchen and pulled the potatoes out, letting them cool while he went to the fridge looking for toppings and drinks for the two of them. Grabbing two beers along with the sour cream and butter he found a serving tray, no doubt another item left behind by one of Jethro's exes, and loaded it up. He carried it into the family room just as the steaks were being pulled off the fire. Setting the tray on the coffee table, he waited until Jethro sat down with the plate of cowboy style steaks. Once his lover had placed a thick juicy piece of steak on each plate, Tim speared one of the potatoes and leaned over to put it on the other man's plate, stopping to plant a kiss on Jethro's lips. Taking his own potato, he cut it open and was reaching for the sour cream when his lips were captured by his lover. When they finally came up for air, Jethro said rather breathlessly, "Didn't want to interrupt you while you were cutting into something with such precision."

Tim laughed and nodded, his potato was cut exactly in half. Jethro continued, "Haven't noticed that before. I learned something new about you today."

Tim blushed and mumbled, "Learned that from the Admiral."

"I'm sure it's nowhere near as adorable when he does it!" Tim snorted and they both laughed as they cut into their steaks.

After they ate their fill, they pushed the dishes aside. Jethro swung his legs up on the couch and patted the seat next to him. "C'mere babe, want to cuddle?" The question was punctuated by Jethro waggling his eyebrows. Tim laughed and scooted over so that he was sitting next to his man, his long legs stretched out on the couch. He hadn't thought they'd both fit on the couch but they did, in a very cozy way.

They sat and watched the fire roar, the crackling embers creating a symphony of sounds that the flames danced to. Tim snuggled closer, laying his head on Jethro's chest and sighing as the older man draped his arm across his chest and pulled him closer.

"This is nice, Jethro. I could stay like this forever."

"You and me both, babe."

"Too bad we have to go back to work tomorrow. I enjoyed playing hooky today and being able to spend the entire day with you. It's going to be hard having to share you tomorrow."

Jethro chuckled, "Will it make you feel better if you know you're the only one I'll be thinking of?"

Tim sighed deeply, "Maybe a little bit, but I know something that will make me feel better now."

"Oh yeah, won't be too hard to guess what that is."

"Nope," Tim whispered as he captured Gibbs' lips between his own, moaning as the taste of steak and alcohol heightened his senses. Breaking the kiss they each gave a breathy laugh.

"Ready for bed, babe?"

Nodding, Tim sat up, pulling Jethro with him as they headed for the stairs. Looking back at the fire, Tim said, "Do you need to add any more logs to keep us warm tonight?"

Playfully slapping Tim's ass, Jethro smirked, "Oh, don't worry about keeping warm, it will be plenty steamy in the bedroom."

* * *

Tuesday morning found the first occupants of the bullpen arriving together a little early. Since they had driven in together, they'd decided to get in earlier to beat Ziva and escape having to explain. Although as Tim pointed out, without a car he had an excuse for Jethro picking him up. That worked until he remembered that Ziva lived far closer to him than Jeth…Gibbs, he needed to think of him as Gibbs here at work. He settled into his desk, booting up his computer and starting to wade through the alarming number of e-mails waiting for him.

Gibbs finished his coffee and looked at Tim, "Want to go for coffee with me?"

"Uh, no, better not…Boss, I have a ton of e-mails I need to respond to, other teams requesting help. I'm just scrolling through here to see if there's anything about the Kroudle case. Rain check?"

"Sure, works for me, Timmm. Ok, I'm going, want your usual?"

Tim grinned, "Yeah, that'd be great Boss, thanks." After his lov…Boss left, Tim found Ducky's autopsy report, printed it out and left a copy on Gib's desk, damn it, he was having a tough time with Jethro's many names today! He took his copy of the report and quickly scanned it. His eyebrows nearly flew off his forehead as he read the cause of death. He was suddenly thankful that Tony and Ziva had made it back home in one piece. He saw a notation about DNA found under the dead man's fingernails and smiled. That would help to bring the murderer down. Moving from there to his copy of Tony's report, he started wondering about the missing vet and the new dead body, now in Autopsy. With a start he realized he and Jet…Gibbs were supposed to report to Ducky this morning for a return to work exam. He was writing Gibbs a note when the elevator dinged and his lover walked in carrying three coffees and a pastry bag. Looking to make sure no one was in the vicinity, Gibbs placed Tim's coffee and the pastry bag on his desk and leaned in, "Thought about last night all the way to the coffee shop and back, Timmy. You rocked my world, sweetie." Tim grabbed the pastry bag and opened it to hide the blush on his face. "I'm glad you liked my little idea." Gibbs chuckled, "Wasn't anything little about that, my love." Tim looked deeper into the bag. "We can't talk like this here, there are cameras, you know Vance will be curious to see how we're doing. And…I forgot we're supposed to see Ducky, if you keep going like this, my blood pressure isn't the only thing that will be up!" Gibbs laughed outright at that and patting his Tim on his shoulder, went back to his desk to start his own catching up.

Not long after Gibbs settled at his own desk and was reading over the autopsy report did the elevator ding and both Tony and Ziva hopped off. Arguing over yet another petty disagreement. Running his fingers through his hair, Gibbs sighed and glared at the two as they made their way to the bullpen.

"Sorry Boss, still have a headache?" Tony whispered as he dropped his backpack at his desk and sat down.

"It had managed to go away DiNozzo, but with you and David already arguing this morning I'm sure it will be back in no time."

The two agents clamped their mouths shut as Tim hid a smile behind his coffee cup.

"Did you get my report, Boss?" Tony asked as he walked over and took a seat on the edge of Tim's desk. "Probie, you should have seen the size of those lingers. Biggest cats I've ever seen; they could kill you in an instant." "Good thing I didn't go since I'm allergic to cats, Tony. I can imagine that was a tough scene to work."

Pulling on the collar of his shirt, Tony scoffed, "It wasn't easy, but we're professionals and pulled it off, right Ziva?"

"That is right, although our Park Ranger friends Bobbi and Jack were a big help."

Gibbs who had briefly been listening to their conversation, while reading through Tony's report called out to Tim, "Timm, uh, McGee start looking through Kroudle's financials and see if you can find a link to our missing vet Dr. Jack Shiner."

Tim released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Gibbs had nearly called him Timmy in front of the entire team. Thankfully neither Tony nor Ziva appeared to notice. However, if they had they were right in keeping their mouths shut about it. Setting about his search, he ducked down behind the computer screen and wiped the trickle of sweat from his brow. Looking over at Gibbs the older man gave him a smirk obviously not bothered by the fact he'd almost called him Timmy. As Tim began his searches and the other three agents caught up on email, the back elevator door opened admitting Ducky into the bullpen.

"Hello Everyone. Jethro and Timothy I trust you got some rest this weekend and are on the mend?"

The two agents exchanged glances and Tim once again hid his smile behind his coffee cup. "Hey, Duck. Got plenty of rest and I feel like a million bucks today."

The doctor nodded skeptically and turned his attention towards Tim. "And how about you lad? Two car accidents in one day is not to be taken lightly. How about that bruise on your chest? Are you experiencing any additional soreness?"

Oh, he was experiencing some additional soreness all right, but not the kind he could share with Ducky. However, after fucking Jethro long and hard last night he knew he wasn't the only one who was feeling some extra soreness this morning.

"I'm fine, Ducky. Really, really fine. Believe me if I was experiencing any problems I would let you know."

That appeared to satisfy the good doctor and he once again turned towards Gibbs. "Mr. Palmer is preparing the body that Tony and Ziva found over the weekend. When I have my findings, you'll be the first to know Jethro."

"Sounds good, Duck. I read your report about Kroudle, being mauled to death by what we now know is a linger. I haven't seen the second body, any chance he was killed by the cats as well?"

"It's possible Jethro but I suspect it's highly unlikely. Just by looking at him he doesn't appear to have any deep scratches or bite marks. Well, back to work but I'll be watching you two closely and would suggest taking it easy today even though you're telling me you feel fine."

The two men nodded as Ducky disappeared back into the elevator leaving the team to continue working. Gibbs gave them five minutes and then he called for an update. The team gathered around the plasma as they walked through what they had on the case. First they had the initial crime scene, with Kroudle's body; they now knew that his death was caused by one of the lingers. Material from under the deceased's fingernails was still being analyzed by Major Mass Spec. The old house, while owned by Kroudle, hadn't netted them any real evidence, other than Kroudle's computer. Tim was still running financials on both Kroudle and Shiner and motioned for his colleagues to continue with their second crime scene. Tony brought up the photos from that crime scene, which included the lingers. Gibbs was impressed with the huge cats but was glad Tony and Ziva had had the good sense to call in the Park Service to help them. Ducky and Jimmy were setting up to do the autopsy on the second victim now, so they would have that report later in the day. From what Ducky had said earlier though, they did not expect to hear that the second man had died from an attack by a linger. As they were still going through the photos for the second crime scene, Tim's computer chimed and he turned to find the financial information. He quickly found a link between Kroudle and Shiner and an interesting new twist, a deposit from a Carissa Carleton, a well known if rather ditzy DC celebrity. As Tim was still limited to desk duty, Gibbs sent Ziva and Tony to bring the woman in for questioning. Once they were on their way, Tim went down to the lab to revisit Kroudle's computer, hoping he could find more clues as to what the man was involved in. Within a few minutes he'd found a hidden file that contained a calendar. Along with more mundane notations, there was one for the night of Kroudle's death marked, "JS here, CC, 8PM, del. Bella."

Tim printed out the information from the calendar and headed back to the bullpen. Noticing it was empty except for Gibbs he decided it would be fun to mess with him little bit. It would probably cost him dearly the next time they were alone, but he was willing to take that chance.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: When you read fan fiction, remember it's fiction, not everything is the way it is in real life.

* * *

AUL Chapter 13

Tim walked over to Jethro's desk and held out the paper which contained the information from Kroudle's computer. As Jethro went to reach for it, Tim casually dropped it before he could get his hands on it.

"Oops let me get that," Tim spun around so that his ass was practically in Gibbs' lap and bent over. Looking over his shoulder he smirked and stuck his ass out even further. Jethro licked his lips as the firm muscular bottom of his lover was only inches away from his aching cock. God, all he wanted to do was reach over and take a bite out of one of the firm cheeks. Wiggling his ass as he stood up, Tim turned back around and laid the paper on his desk.

"Here you go, Boss." The twinkle in Tim's eye caused Jethro's cock to harden and if the younger man didn't stop teasing him soon, he was going to drag him to the elevator, flip the switch and ravage every part of his body.

Jethro squinted at the small font and noticing his lover's dilemma, Tim figured it would be an opportune time to continue furthering his arousal. Taking a quick glance around the bullpen to make sure they were still alone, Tim leaned over Jethro's shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"I've been a bad boy and I need to be punished."

The hot breath blowing against his ear and the distinct smell of his Timmy caused Jethro to squirm. Leaning in closer, Tim quickly ran his fingertips over his lover's thigh and watched the bulge beneath his pants grow.

"Looks like someone's enjoying this."

Jethro shuddered, he loved this sexually playful side of Timmy but they were at work and in the middle of the bullpen. If they let their guard down it was possible someone would catch them in the act. Shaking his head he turned and glared at Tim, hoping his lover would get the hint that even though he enjoyed messing around it was time to get back to work. Noticing the look on Jethro's face, Tim nodded and took a step back. Clearing his throat, he said, "It's from Kroudle's calendar. I believe it's an abbreviation for a meeting with a buyer."

Gibbs cleared his throat, "Uh…JS, that could be Jack Shiner, wonder if that's his name or his vocation? CC could be the Carleton woman, we'll need to verify that with her or get a warrant for her calendar. 'Del.', someone named Del? Del. Bella, no that sounds more like an abbreviation for deliver but then who's Bella?"

Tim stood in thought for a minute, "Boss, we have two guys, Kroudle and Shiner and we know they're linked. Shiner has that property that Kroudle's linked to and the big cats were there. Tony and Ziva said those cats are crossbreeds called 'lingers'. They're illegal to sell here in the US. Ms. Carleton is known for her exotic pets, so she could have been purchasing or have purchased one of the lingers. And those big cats could be named; one of them could be named 'Bella'. It's a popular name right now because of the Twilig…a popular movie series. And Ducky's report stated the COD for Kroudle was an attack by a big cat. What if something went wrong with the delivery and Kroudle was attacked by his own cat, Bella?"

"That's why we need to talk to this Carleton woman. Hopefully she can fill in some of the blanks."

No sooner had he spoken those words the elevator dinged and Tony and Ziva emerged with a tall buxom blonde, dressed to the nines with a small dog peeking out of her purse. They rounded the corner into the bullpen and Ziva rolled her eyes as the woman blatantly flirted with Tony. Jethro was about to stand but he still felt his cock protruding through his pants. He cursed under his breath and extended his hand as Ziva started with the introductions.

"Ms. Carleton, this is Special Agent Gibbs. He is in charge of the investigation and has some questions for you."

"Ooh rough, rugged and handsome just the way I like my men." Her voice was high pitched and reminded Jethro of nails on a chalkboard. He'd hoped Tony was only putting on a show and not interested in this fake ditz.

Even though Tim knew that Jethro wasn't interested in Carissa, he couldn't help but feel jealous that someone was flirting with his man. Shaking it off he reached out his hand to introduce himself, "Hi, I'm Special Agent Timothy McGee. We have some questions if you're willing to cooperate."

"Well I have questions too! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Boss, conference room?"

"Yeah, Tony, I'll be up there in a few."

As Tony and Ziva led her to the conference room, Tim waited until they were alone before he spoke.

"What nerve that woman has throwing herself at you! What happened to having self respect?"

Jethro smiled, it was adorable how protective his Timmy was. "Don't worry about it. She appears to flirt with anyone that's breathing." Motioning Tim to come close he whispered, "You're the only one for me, babe."

Tim blushed, "Thanks, Boss. It goes both ways, you know?" Casually glancing at Jethro's crotch, he smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly, "You ready to head upstairs?"

Sneaking a glimpse at his crotch, Jethro was satisfied his erection was no longer visible. Although if Tim kept looking at him that way it wouldn't long before it was noticeable again. Standing up he grabbed his coffee and they walked to the conference room together.

The two of them entered the room and saw that Tony and the ditz, uh, person of interest, were sitting at the table, their heads nearly touching, talking and laughing. Ziva was standing at the window, staring out and Gibbs was amused by the look of disgust on her face. Those two had spent entirely too much time together on this case, but with the accident…Gibbs stopped and redirected his thoughts. He considered everything they knew for a fact. Kroudle's death, the autopsy report, the calendar entry, the financial transactions, the existence of the big cats, the property in Fort Valley. He hoped this person could shed some light on what had happened.

"Ms. Carleton, I understand you have a number of 'exotic' pets." The woman squealed and Gibbs used all of his control to keep from holding his hands over his ears in pain. "Oh yes, I have wonderful pets, they're my babies! I have…" Before she could start listing all her 'babies', Gibbs interrupted, "We show a financial transaction between you and Eric Kroudle." "Yes, I wanted to buy one of his and Jack's lingers." Ok, there was clear admission that Kroudle and Shiner were in business together.

"What happened, you said 'wanted'…did the transaction happen?"

"No, unfortunately, I had to fly to Paris to rescue a friend from a fashion disaster that afternoon and didn't make my appointment with Eric and Jack."

"Then you were expecting to meet with both of them?"

"Yes, that's how they do business. Eric is the marketing guy and Jack is the vet and takes care of the kitties. The babies are used to Jack but not Eric, so they always do the delivery together."

"And you're familiar with their routine how?"

"Oh, I've been playing matchmaker with the kitties and some of my friends. I already have two lingers," she laughed, an even higher pitched indelicate bray that threatened to break the glass in the window frame. "I was their first customer, but I really want Bella too. Have you seen her, she's beautiful!"

"Uh, no Miss, I haven't. When did you cancel your appointment for Bella's delivery?"

"Oh well, I was a little naughty, I was so upset about my friend in Paris that I flew off and forgot to let Eric and Jack know. I did send them a text when I landed, so it would have been shortly before I was to meet with them. Let me see, I can look at my phone and tell you exactly what time it was." Before Gibbs could tell her not to bother, she had taken Elvis, her dog, out of her purse and handed him to DiNozzo. Tim saw Ziva's eyes light up and knew she was fighting laughter.

Gibbs turned his head and rolled his eyes at his lover. In the meantime, Ms. Carleton was merrily scrolling through her texts. "Oh here it is, Agent…uh, rugged and handsome." She held out the phone and Tim reached out, trying not to be obvious as he pretty much snatched it from her hand. He showed the time sent to his boss who just nodded. "Is that all, can Elvis and I go now, Hon?" Tony reached his arms out to her, holding Elvis as far away from him as possible. "Oh thanks, Sugar. Come here baby, Mommy wants her itty bitty baby back in his carrier."

The four agents fought back varying degrees of amusement, disgust and on Tony's face, still a bit of attraction.

"Ms. Carleton, do you know if Kroudle and Shiner were having problems? Were they getting along all right or were there business problems?"

"Were, what do you mean, were? That's in the before tense, right, like they're not still that way?"

Gibbs cleared his throat, "Yes, Kroudle is dead."

"OH NO!" The woman shrieked and this time Gibbs, Ziva and Tim winced in pain and covered their ears. "Not my Eric, OH that CAN'T be TRUE!"

Gibbs sighed as he waited for the ringing in his ears to stop. "I'm afraid so Ms. Carleton. It's been confirmed, Kroudle was killed by a linger and from the information we've learned from you, most likely it was Bella.

"NO, NO, NO Not my Bella! She wouldn't hurt a fly; she was the sweetest cat I've ever meet! Where is she now? I want to see her!"

"She's in a safe place, but you'll never be able to see her again. Thank you for your time, Agent DiNozzo will find you a ride home."

"My poor Bella! If you see her again, tell her mommy didn't expect it to work out this way."

Chuckling and rolling his eyes, Gibbs nodded, "Will do. Now let's see about getting you home."

Pulling down her already low cut shirt, Carissa leaned over the table giving everyone a bird's eye view of her cleavage, "I'd prefer if you drove me home Agent Handsome." Clucking her tongue she said, "You know you remind me of someone. That cutie...oh I don't remember his name...from my favorite all time movie Summer School!"

Tony and Tim rolled their eyes, each of them upset for their own reasons that Carissa was flirting with Gibbs. This woman needed to go and Tim had to restrain himself from grabbing her by the arm and steering her far away from his man. Tony couldn't believe this woman would rather get a piece of Gibbs rather than be with him. He stood up and pulled out his cell phone, "If you'll follow me this way I'll have a car brought around for you."

"WAIT!" The woman shrieked and again Gibbs, Ziva and Tim covered their ears. Even poor little Elvis ducked down inside the bag.

Ziva pounded her fist down on the table, "Must you scream like that?"

Carissa shrugged her shoulders, "Like what? This is my indoor voice. So when am I going to get my money back Agent Summer School?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and looked over at Tim who was fuming. At anytime steam could blow out of his ears. Perhaps his jealously was karma for getting him all hot and bothered with no way to act on it. "Sorry to say but you're not getting any money back."

"WHAT?! WhY NoT I WaNT My MoNeY BACK!" Her voice raised an octave as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Because it is evidence and I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Do you even know how much you paid for Bella, Ms. Carleton? Tim asked snidely as he'd seen the deposit and wondered if she had even paid attention to how much she paid.

"I don't remember that was a few days ago. Geez I have lots of other stuff to worry about like clothes and which nail polish I'm going to wear with which outfit. This is totally unfair, however much I paid I could have put that towards billions of bottles of nail polish."

The four of them were nearly rolling their eyes in unison as the woman continued carrying on about her money and nail polish. Finally Gibbs had had enough and stood up, "Thank you, Ms. Carleton. Someone will be contacting you about the two illegal lingers in your possession. For now, an agent is waiting to escort you out of the building."

The woman shrieked again, this time about her babies and that nobody could possibly take them away from her. Tim threw open the conference room door and nearly pulled poor Agent Marshall into the room as the four of them fled. There was no other way to describe it. This woman had done what countless suspects and dirtbags had tried to do over the years, discombobulate the best MCRT in the agency.

Reaching the relative safety of the bullpen, the four of them stood there looking at each other in horror. Tony shuddered, to think he'd been momentarily attracted to that…voice. How would she sound when she had sex? He continued to shudder. Now he thought maybe her flirting with Gibbs wasn't such a bad thing. Unless she had duct tape over her mouth no way was he interested! Tim was still upset at the woman's flirt with his man. He vowed to show Jethro who he belonged to when they got off work tonight.

Ziva watched the men with hooded eyes. There was something odd about Tim being so upset. Almost as if he was…jealous? She mentally shook her head and decided they needed to focus on the case. She cleared her throat and was pleased when her men suddenly recalled her presence.

"Yeah, Zeever?"

"We learned quite a bit about Kroudle and Shiner did we not? It is now confirmed they were in business together, that their business was selling illegal crossbreeds of large cats and that Shiner handled the animals. We know the cause of death for Kroudle, and we know Shiner would have been in town for the appointment, but we do not know the motive for the murder or even if it was a murder. One of those cats could have gotten hungry or angry or I do not know what else and attacked Kroudle. "

Tim nodded, "We have the second body, hopefully Ducky has identified him and Shiner is missing. Major Mass Spec. should tell us about the DNA under Kroudle's fingernails"

Gibbs nodded, "Do we have any other missing pieces to this?" His three agents shook their heads. He sighed. "We still don't have motive. Find me a motive!"

As he spoke, Abby bounced into the bullpen, "I don't have a motive, but I can tell you who left DNA under Kroudle's fingernails."

"Who, Abs?"

"Dr. John Shiner, former Marine and current large animal vet in Fort Valley, VA."

"Currently missing former Marine Abs, thanks!" Abby put her cheek forward expecting a kiss but Gibbs had turned to Tim. "Call Ducky…" Disappointed, Abby stomped off to her lab.

"And see if he has an ID on the other dead guy, on it Boss."

Gibbs pointed to DiNozzo. "Uh, go back through the financials, see if there were any problems, if there's been any credit card use, Boss, that's usually McGeek's…"

_THWACK _

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs pointed to Ziva, "Find out more about their business, who their importer was." He nodded.

His team got busy while Jethro sat back in this chair and discreetly watched his lover at work. God he loved watching him move, think, talk…well pretty much everything.

As his team scurried to work, Gibbs asked the bullpen in general, "Have there been any hits on the BOLO?"

Tony's eyes widened, he turned pale and he bent over his desk, pretending to be intent on working on…whatever it was he'd been assigned. Gibbs caught the activity; he opened his mouth to ask again thinking that this time someone had damn well better answer him! Before he could snap at them however, Ziva called out,  
"Yes, we have just received a response to the BOLO. The Police Department in Asheville North Carolina reported spotting Shiner and his vehicle at a Fremont Inn there. Shall I ask them to detain him?"

"As a person of interest, yes. Can't call him a suspect until we find out cause of death of the guy from the ranch."

"Very well." Ziva picked up her phone and called the Asheville NC Police Dept. She spoke with someone there and then hung up. "Gibbs, they will call back when they have him." Gibbs nodded. He spotted a movement as Tony mouthed a thank you across the aisle to Ziva. She just shook her head at him.

Ducky walked into the bullpen with a folder in his hands. "Jethro, I have determined cause of death for our second victim. It was a Marine twist, that killing move I know you've demonstrated to Timothy and Anthony on occasion."

"So the killer is or was a Marine, eh, Duck?"

"Yes."

"Any id yet?"

"No, unfortunately, we are still awaiting results of the DNA and dental record searches." Tony twisted in his seat, "Boss, Shiner is a former Marine."

Gibbs nodded, "Yeah, I'll be glad when we get him back here. This case needs to be tied up!"

Ducky went back downstairs and the team went back to their searches. As Ziva's phone rang, Vance walked into the bullpen and to Gibbs' desk. Annoyed, Gibbs tried to split his attention between the call and the Director but his boss won. "Gibbs, Agent Carter and his SFA are down with that flu bug going around, I just sent them home. They've got a kidnapping case that just came in minutes ago; need your team on it. Here's what they had." The team gathered as Vance gave them the particulars of the case. "Six year old boy, Ethan Tyler disappeared out of a McDonaldsabout thirty minutes ago. He's a Navy dependent, father's deployed. He was being watched by his godmother, a woman named Tiffany Overton. Mother was at work, she's on her way home now. "

Gibbs took the file, "Ok, Director, we're on it."

Ziva gave him a look, "Yeah, Zeever?"

"On the Kroudle case, the Asheville PD called back, they lost Shiner."

Gibbs swore under his breath, "All right, update the BOLO and let's get moving on the kidnapping, that's our priority now."

The BOLO was quickly updated and the team dispersed to work on the new case. Gibbs and Ziva went to interview the mother and the godmother, both now at the family home, while Tim and Tony went to the playground to interview witnesses and canvass the area.

Gibbs and Ziva raced to the house of the missing boy; parked the car and went to the front door. Before they could even knock the door was flung open and they were being ushered inside by a hysterical woman.

"Please find my baby boy he's only six years old!" The woman sobbed as Gibbs guided her to the couch to sit down.

"Ma'am calm down. If you continue like this you won't be any help in finding your son."

Ziva sighed; she wasn't good at working with emotional people. Her nerves were already frayed from having to deal with Carissa Carleton that morning and this was icing on the cake. She really hoped that Gibbs would deal with a majority of the questions as she was afraid she would snap at the poor woman.

Gibbs handed the woman a tissue as she continued sobbing; he decided to begin his questioning with the woman he assumed was the godmother. He motioned to the woman who was sitting casually in the armchair to his left, "You must be Tiffany Overton? You were watching Ethan this morning when he was taken from McDonald's? Can you tell me what happened?"

Tiffany snapped her bubble gum, "Yeah, that's me. One moment Ethan is playing in the ball pit and the next moment he's gone. I even went inside the playground myself and looked all over the restaurant but he was already gone."

"Uh huh and where were you at the time?"

She snapped her bubble gum and played with her hair acting as if Ethan's kidnapping was no big deal. "Well I was kinda sorta talking to this guy. He was flirting with me and I just broke up with my boyfriend a few days ago so I thought what's the big deal if I flirt back? We have a date on Friday."

Clenching her fists, Ziva had to control herself from not smacking the tiny smirk off Tiffany's face. Was today the National Holiday for ditzs? First they had to deal with Carissa and now this woman.

When she heard Tiffany's reasoning as to why she wasn't watching Ethan, Mrs. Tyler broke out into heart wrenching sobs and stood up to charge at Tiffany. Gibbs quickly stood up and with the help of Ziva they were able to guide her back to the couch.

"It's your fault he's gone! Someone has my baby and it's all because you're a selfish bitch! I knew I should have let my sister Ann babysit instead of you!"

Tiffany again snapped her bubble gum and shrugged her shoulders, unaffected by the mother's outburst.

"Mrs. Tyler, I know this is upsetting but I'm going to need you to answer a few questions. Can you do that?"

She nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Yes, I'm sorry... Agent? I don't even know your names; I was so relieved when I saw you were here that I completely disregarded that."

"I'm Special Agent Gibbs and this is Special Agent David. Now can you give me a description of Ethan and what he was wearing this morning?"

"My sweet Ethan is average height, about 50 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing a red sweatshirt and jeans this morning. His coat is black and his hat is a red and black stocking hat. Pleasssse you have to find him!"

"We'll find him Mrs. Tyler. Are you or your husband having problems with anyone right now? Can you think of someone who would want to take Ethan away from you?"

"No, my husband's deployed and I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt our sweet innocent boy."

"All right, we'll need the most current photo you have of him. The Amber Alert for Ethan is already active." Gibbs paused, "I know you said there isn't anyone you're having problems with, but is there anyone who might want Ethan to themselves, a family member perhaps?"

"No, no one like that."

"All right. Ms. Overton is Ethan's godmother. Is there a godfather? Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins?"

Mrs. Tyler nodded, "His godfather is Larry Parks and he's deployed with my husband. My husband's parents live in Georgia, my father's deceased; my mother lives in Maryland. I have one sister, Ann Darius. She lives here in town, she's on her way over now- from work - here's her phone number." She held out her phone and Ziva took the number.

"All right, we'll probably want to speak with her. Now, how about school, Ethan must be in first grade? What about his friends, has he been to any of their homes, are you familiar with his friends' parents, his teacher?"

"Yes, he's in first grade, he has three friends he plays with and he's been to two of their homes. That's Jamie Wilson, Stevie Lagos and Emma Andrews. He's been to Stevie and Emma's homes. We know their parents; I met them before he went to their houses. His teacher is Miss Barnes and I'm sure she can tell you more about Ethan's classmates."

"Thank you for the information, Mrs. Tyler, we'll be in touch with updates. Here's my card, please call either number if you think of anything that might help, no matter how odd or off track it might seem."

The mother gave them a copy of Ethan's photo and they left. While they were walking to the car, Gibbs' phone rang. "Gibbs."

"Boss, we've talked with everyone at McDonald's that was here when Ethan disappeared. Several of the parents reported nobody seemed to be watching him."

"Yeah, the godmother told us she was flirting with some guy."

"I wonder if that's the bubble gum chewing bimbo one of the mother's was commenting on. "

"Got anything real to report?"

"We canvassed the area, two blocks in either direction, haven't found any other witnesses, but one of the businesses closed for the day before we got there, a bakery. We're working on tracking down the owner now."

"Ok. Going to need Tim on the electronic records pretty quick, the clock's ticking."

"Yeah, we're on our way back to the office now." Gibbs ended the call and spotted Ziva moving toward the driver's seat. "Nope Ziva, I'm driving. Won't do the little boy any good if we're both in the hospital."

She made a face but moved around to the passenger side. "Did Tim and Tony find anything?"

"They're still working on it." They returned to the office, meeting the rest of the team there.

The team worked well into the night, setting up a tip line and interviewing Ethan's classmates, teachers and family members. Tim was busy tracking the electronic records as well as security footage from the McDonald's and businesses located across the street. There were clear shots of Ethan but in every angle the kidnapper was just out of view, giving them no credible leads to go on. Finally, nearly twelve hours after the kidnapping a credible lead came into the tip line and Gibbs sent Tony and Ziva to investigate. Sitting back in his chair, Tim ran his hand down his face. He hoped that Tony and Ziva would have good news to share rather than it being another dead end. They were all tired and although they were focused on finding Ethan alive and well, part of him just wanted to be wrapped in Jethro's muscular arms as they fell asleep together.

Gibbs watched Tim run a hand down his face and saw the exhaustion. He was confident the lead that Tony and Ziva were investigating would help them find Ethan as the tip had come from the employee of the bakery that had been closed. Gibbs had no idea why she had called the tip line instead of his phone number as they'd spoken to the bakery owner earlier, but at this point he didn't care. Knowing Ducky and Jimmy had gone home hours earlier and that DiNozzo and David would be gone at least another 30 minutes, he cleared his throat and then waggled his eyebrows at Tim. Tim looked up and smiled, wondering what his lover had in mind. Judging from the look in his eyes it was something not work related, which probably meant some fun. Channeling Gibbs, he thought about where they could go to be private and came to the same conclusion as Jethro; Autopsy was empty of any living beings right now. Standing up he stretched and then in a low voice, told his boss that he was going for a walk to wake himself up a bit. Gibbs nodded, pretending to be occupied with something on his desk, waited three minutes and then picking up his coffee cup, set off in the direction of the break room. Once out of sight of the cameras, he detoured to the back elevator and was soon in Autopsy, wondering where his lover was. Looking around, he spotted a tiny light in Ducky's office and headed in. Tim had used the light of his cell phone to signal him he was in there, staying out of sight of the security cameras.

The two fell into each other's arms and for a few minutes just relished being together and alone. Tim, never one to let any opportunity slide by, broke the embrace by gently grabbing Jethro's head and kissing him. Jethro returned it and the welcoming softness of the initial kiss soon turned heated as the two used tongues, teeth and lips to reconnect. Jethro groaned as Tim left his mouth and trailed kisses up the line of his jaw to his ear, licking around his ear and kissing the sweet spot under it. As Jethro trembled under his ministrations, Tim returned to his mouth and then trailed up to his other ear, paying it the same consideration. With a moan, Jethro twisted and took Tim's head in his hands, ready to give him the same loving treatment.

Capturing Tim's lips between his own, Jethro gently ran his thumbs up the younger man's jaw line and stopped at his temples. Slowly massaging the delicate area he felt the tension Tim had been carrying around with him begin to recede.

"That's it, babe. Let it go." Jethro mumbled against his lover's lips and then continued the path with his thumbs, down behind Tim's earlobes coming to a stop at his jaw. After a gentle massage of the sweet spots below his ears, Jethro broke the kiss leaving them both gasping for air. The older man wrapped his arm around Tim's shoulder and pulled him close, both enjoying the heated breath of each other in such an enclosed space.

Finally able to catch his breath, Tim spoke softly, "You know what that massage reminded me of babe?"

Jethro kissed the top of his head, "We've had so many firsts in the past few days it could be anything Timmy."

"Remember in the shower when we gave each other those wonderful massages? When you were massaging my temples, you took me right back to that moment. I could smell the shampoo and feel your body close to mine. I can't wait to have many more moments like that with you."

"Me neither, Timmy." Jethro growled and began peppering Tim's neck with kisses, careful not to suck on the delicate skin long enough to leave a mark. As he continued his ministrations, moving up one side of the neck and then back down and up the other side, Jethro's cell phone began to ring.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he fumbled in the dark for his phone. Tim's phone had been within reaching distance so he grabbed it and turned it on, the light illuminating the small office enough for Jethro to be able to find his. Working to catch his breath, he glimpsed at the caller ID and growled.

"Gi...bb...ss" He huffed out and bit down on his bottom lip, hoping DiNosy wouldn't notice that he sounded out of breath. The man appeared to have a sixth sense and was always calling at inopportune times when he and Tim were having fun.

"Hey Boss, you okay? Sound a little out of breath."

"I'm fine, Tony. Went on a coffee run and it's cold outside. You got something for me?"

"Yep, just got back. Did McGee go with you because he's not here?"

"Nope, Tony. Maybe he's in the head. I'm on my way back, be there in a few."

Hanging up the phone before having to answer any more questions from his oldest, he turned to Tim and chuckled. "Can't believe our thirty minutes is up already."

Tim pulled Jethro in for one more searing kiss, gently probing his mouth with his tongue before separating. "Time flies when you're having fun, babe. I'll go ahead and see you in a few minutes."

Jethro hated watching Tim sneak out of autopsy, leaving him alone. Part of him wanted to walk upstairs hand in hand with his new lover and shout it from the rooftops that they were in love. But he also knew questions would be asked and their relationship could change the team dynamic. He was going to have to wait it out and in the meantime enjoy the privacy and closeness they both deeply cherished.


	14. Chapter 14

AUL Chapter 14

As he approached the bullpen, Gibbs barked out an order to "Report!"

DiNozzo and David jumped up from their desks, DiNozzo taking the lead. "Boss, we spoke with Maggie Edwards, she was the employee running that bakery yesterday right before the kidnapping. She reported that an older woman came into the bakery just minutes before closing, which is about when Ethan went missing. She chose some chocolate pastries, told Ms. Edwards they were for her grandson who was coming to live with her."

"Get a description?"

"Yes, the bakery owner is on her way to the shop so Ms. Edwards can come in to do a sketch – you know, Abby's imaging program. We figured if Abby wasn't here yet McGee would know how."

"Good thinking, DiNozzo. David, call Mrs. Tyler and see if she has a recent photo of the grandmothers. One lives in Georgia, the other in Maryland. My gut's telling me it's Maryland. She's alone and lives closer."

"Yes Gibbs."

Tim had reappeared in the bullpen by then and had overheard Tony's report.

"Boss, I'll go down to the lab and boot up Abby's PC so I can get that description done, in case it isn't the grandmother. "

"Good, McGee. Uh…better let Abby know what you're doing."

"Good point Boss." Tim sent a quick text to Abby and headed down to the lab, figuring he'd have a response from her by the time he got there. He did, she reminded him of her start-up protocols.

Ziva hung up her phone, "Mrs. Tyler has recent photos of both grandmothers."

"Ok, Ziva, send Dorneget after them, need you here in the office."

"We do not need to go after them Gibbs; she is sending them to me through e-mail."

"Good thinking Agent David; that saves time."

She looked at her e-mail and smiled. "They are here, Gibbs. I have sent them to the printer."

She pulled the two photos off the printer and then reading what Mrs. Tyler sent on her e-mail, labeled them on the back.

Gibbs thought for a moment. "When she comes in, take her down to the lab and have her tell the two of you her description. If it's anything like either of the photos, then show her the photos. But photos are shown last; don't want to cloud her memory of the woman she saw, might not be Ethan's grandmother. Could be someone posing as one."

Just as he finished speaking, the elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal a woman with an agent escorting her. DiNozzo nodded at Gibbs, this was their bakery worker. Thanking and dismissing her escort, he guided the woman to a side chair next to his desk.

"Ms. Edwards, thank you for coming in so quickly. We're going to take you to our forensic lab and we'll build a computer generated picture of this woman from your description."

The woman smiled, a little nervous but eager to help. Tony and Ziva escorted her to the lab where Tim had just finished Abby's start-up protocol. He'd just opened the program needed and nodded at the woman as they entered the lab. She quickly gave her description and they built the image online. When they finished, they asked Ms. Edwards to take a careful look, make sure they hadn't missed anything. She closed her eyes, no doubt picturing the grandmotherly woman she'd helped just before she'd closed the shop yesterday. Opening her eyes again she nodded, yes, this image matched the woman there.

Ziva opened the folder she'd carried downstairs with her, "Is this the woman you saw?"

Ms. Edwards gasped, "Yes, it is, oh I hope that little boy is all right, that he's safe."

"We hope he is too, Ms. Edwards. You've been a huge help to us, thank you!"

DiNozzo slipped off to call Gibbs with the news that it appeared that it was indeed the grandmother from Maryland who had taken Ethan or at least had bought him pastries near the park from which he had disappeared.

As Gibbs hung up after getting the update from DiNozzo, he rubbed his mouth. He'd seen Vance come in a few minutes ago and decided to update him. Since this now looked like a domestic kidnapping, perhaps even a misunderstanding, he thought Vance might prefer to turn the case back to Carter's team.

He made his way upstairs and shocked the Director by knocking on the door. Gibbs gave his boss the update and found his hunch was right. Vance wanted them back on their double homicide; he would alert local LEOs and send the two agents from Carter's team to retrieve Ethan. He did ask Gibbs to update Mrs. Tyler before he turned the case files over. Gibbs agreed and quickly made his way down to the squad room and to Carter's bullpen. The two agents had worked with them until late last night; he'd finally sent them home about 2300, now he saw evidence that both were in. He nodded approving of their work ethic, especially with a child kidnapping. He updated them and noticed they were relieved both with the news and that they would be the ones to close the case.

Back at his desk, he called Mrs. Tyler remembering to apologize for the early hour and explaining that they knew who had taken Ethan. When he told the woman it was her mother, she was shocked. She wanted to go with the two agents, Gibbs  
and Vance had discussed the possibility; Vance had decided to send a second car with another agent, that way if there was trouble Mrs. Tyler would not be in harm's way. Gibbs hung up the phone, his gut telling him there would be no danger. Now they could return to their still puzzling double homicide.

Gibbs rubbed his eyes and looked around the bullpen which was once again populated with his three field agents. Everyone was showing signs of fatigue and he planned on sending them home to get some sleep but wanted them to finish their paperwork on the kidnapping case while it was fresh in their minds. He cleared his throat and waited till he had their attention, "Great job on the Ethan Tyler case. I know we're all tired and ready to go home, but we need to finish the remainder of this paperwork."

Tony groaned and began whining, "Aww c'mon Boss, can't it wait until tomorrow? We've already been here for close to twenty four hours now."

Glaring at Tony, Gibbs shook his head, "Stop acting like such a baby DiNozzo! The longer you bitch about wrapping this case up is time you could already be home in bed. I don't want to hear another word about it, do I make myself clear?"

Gulping and slightly embarrassed, Tony nodded, put his head down and got to work. Thirty minutes later, Tim and Ziva were handing in their reports while Tony was trying furiously to catch up. After being given the okay from Gibbs, Tim gave Ziva a high five and they returned to their desks to shut down and pack up.

As Tim closed out of his email an alert popped up on the screen, "Boss, you've got to see this."

"Put it up on the plasma, Tim."

Within seconds the entire team had gathered around the main plasma in the bullpen. They were surprised and happy to see the BOLO had come back on Jack Shiner. The Savannah GA PD was currently holding their suspect after he'd been stopped for expired car tags.

Tony laughed, "Bet he's feeling pretty stupid right now. Of all things to get pulled over for, what an idiot."

Gibbs was busy running through the list of Marine Bases near Savannah in his head. He'd known of an Army Base but it would be too much of a hassle to get Marine transport clearance on an Army Base. Tim was already busy pulling up the closest bases. Many were a few hours away which would require renting a car and driving after the transport.

"Boss, the closest base is going to be Atlanta. It's still a few hours' drive to Savannah from there. Want me to look for commercial flights?"

"Yeah, let me call Vance and get the okay. Tony call Savannah PD, let them know Shiner is not allowed out of their sight. We already lost him once, it better not happen again. Zeever, gather all the files on this case and have them ready to go."

While his agents went about their assigned tasks, Gibbs called Vance to give him an update. After agreeing it would be easier to fly directly into Savannah, the Director told Gibbs to take one agent with him while the other two worked the case from here. Before he hung up, Gibbs was already thinking of all the things he could do to his Timmy once they were away from the team. This little getaway - if you could call it that - had come at the perfect time. After hanging up with Vance he walked over to Tim's desk, "Find any flights leaving later today? We can get some rest and then head to the airport."

"We?" Tim whispered as he scrolled through the flight itineraries.

"We." Gibbs smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Vance is allowing me to take one member and I've made my choice."

Tim blushed under his lover's attention, "There's a flight leaving at 1700 that gets into Savannah around 1900. That will give us time to rest or whatever." He smiled coyly and winked.

"Sounds like a plan."

Ziva spotted Gibbs and Tim awfully close while they whispered and laughed. Something was definitely going on between the two of them. She shrugged her shoulders, if they wanted it known then they would tell in due time.

Half an hour later the entire team was headed home for some much needed rest. Tim was relieved when Tony didn't complain about not being picked to go to Savannah. He figured after being snowed in with lingers and Ziva for a few days, the man was more than happy to be staying home. Tony and Ziva would return to the office around seven that night and handle any additional case work from here while Tim and Gibbs headed to Georgia.

XXX

As Gibbs pulled onto his street, he chuckled. Tim's rental car was parked in the street near his house, empty. Gibbs parked in the driveway and headed in. He opened the front door to be pulled into the more private dining area and greeted with a very welcoming kiss. He loved those expressive lips on his, loved the possessiveness that his Tim was displaying. He started to wonder what would have happened if he had actually flirted back with that Carleton woman and then his mind went blank and he let the pleasure engulf him.

Eventually the two stumbled up the stairs to Jethro's room, clothes discarded along the way. They'd thought they were tired but managed to muster enough energy to make love to each other. As they rested, sated and now truly exhausted and wrapped in each other's arms, Tim's watch alarm went off. Gibbs pulled back, "Timmy, don't tell me it's time to go? Not sure I can walk yet!" Tim snorted into his shoulder and then paused to take stock of his own body, "Yeah, you have a point there. But no, love, it's not time to go. I knew what I wanted to do with you, thought you might want do the same thing with me. I really didn't plan it to be so…timely, but we have 6 hours to rest." Gibbs nuzzled his neck, "Hmm, that's good, Timmy, very good planning on your part. We should rest." Tim squirmed, "Jethro that tickles!" The two played a bit longer until Jethro noticed Tim had become awfully quiet. Looking at the young man, draped over his chest, he saw his lover's eyes were closed, sound asleep. Gibbs relaxed and pulled him closer. This was one of the many things he loved about Tim, he loved to snuggle as much as Jethro did. He kissed him tenderly and then laid back and closed his own eyes, knowing Tim would have set his alarm to give them plenty of time to get ready and get to the airport.

XXX

As it turned out, they were a little late leaving for the airport, having gotten entangled in each other once again. Luckily, Tim had planned the drive based on his driving rather than Jethro's, so the lost time was more than made up.

While they were waiting at the gate to board, Gibbs' cell phone rang with a call from Ducky. "Jethro, I hear you and Timothy on your way to Savannah to pick up our murderer? "

"Yeah, Duck, we're just about to board our flight. Whatcha got?"

"An id on the second victim. His name is Titus Redmond. Anthony is contacting the sheriff in Fort Valley to see if the name is known to anyone there. Abby will help search for information on the man."

Gibbs glanced over at Tim, who had been standing close enough to hear Ducky and saw he was already searching on his phone.

"That's fine, Duck, but McGee is already searching, hang on." Tim nodded and then showed Gibbs what he'd found. When his lover squinted, Tim increased the font size and Gibbs nodded his thanks.

"Duck, is DiNozzo there?"

"No, he's in the bullpen."

"Tell him that Shiner was paying Redmond, looks like every week. Tim's just bringing up one of the checks now…ah, yeah, the memo on the check says 'ranch work', looks like this guy was a ranch hand for Shiner. Let DiNozzo know that, will you? They can dig deeper, but that gives them something to start with. Uh, gotta go Duck, we're being called for boarding."

Jethro ended the call and smirked at Tim, "Nice going, babe! They can build on that, figure out what happened."

Tim's eyes sparkled as he gave him a shy smile. "Had it right here, Jethro, seemed like a waste to have Abby do it or make DiNozzo tear his hair out looking."

They moved onto the plane and found their seats. The flight was uneventful; they talked of this or that, being careful to avoid work or intimate conversations. Since they were seated in a section with just two seats, nobody noticed that the two of them were holding hands. Once in Savannah, they picked up their rental car and started for their hotel. It was one of the pricier places, the only hotel and room available at the last minute with two beds. It was a shame they had to reserve it, but they needed to maintain their cover with the agency. The hotel was on Savannah's River Street and Tim had done a little research to see what was there. Once he saw everything, he wished they'd made arrangements to stay a second night; he didn't care if he had to pay his own way.

After checking in, the two anxiously made their way up to the room. Jethro couldn't get the door open fast enough as Tim pinned him up against the door. Groaning as the younger man's crotch rubbed against his ass, he was relieved when the lock finally released and the two tumbled into the room. Backing Jethro up to the bed, Tim pushed him down and then like a hungry lion pounced on his prey. Straddling his lover, Tim leaned down and captured Jethro's lips between his own. They sucked and nibbled enjoying the familiarity and closeness as they both fought for dominance. Sucking on Tim's bottom lip, a major turn on for the younger man, Jethro suddenly pulled away.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I realized we've yet to have a proper first date. Would you do me the honor tonight?"

"Hmm can I think about it?" Tim teased as he tweaked one of Jethro's nipples.

Growling, Jethro playfully swatted Tim's ass, "I'll give you something to think about." Catching Tim off guard he quickly turned the tables and rolled the two of them pinning his lover's arms above his head. Leaning down he peppered the younger man's face with kisses causing Tim to thrust his crotch upwards in excitement.

Gibbs chuckled, "Down boy! Feel like releasing some of that energy with a joint shower?"

Cocking one eyebrow, Tim replied, "Hmm do I have time to think about that too?"

"Somebody is cruisin' for a bruisin' Timmy!"

Grabbing his lover's hand he pulled Tim towards the bathroom, each of them stripping off clothes along the way. After taking the time to thoroughly love, wash, caress and massage each other they both stepped out of the shower and took their time getting dressed. Finally ready to hit the town they intertwined their fingers, headed out the door and to the elevator.

Stepping outside, the winter chill sent shivers down their spines. The variety of restaurants and bars was overwhelming so they decided to start walking to keep warm and find a cozy establishment to enjoy dinner. When Tim saw the sign for the "Olde Pink House", he pulled Jethro toward it. "I read about this place, the food is supposed to be wonderful and we can eat in the piano bar downstairs, so we don't have to worry about too much fuss. They have all kinds of local dishes – shrimp and grits and something called she-crab soup."

Jethro laughed at his lover's enthusiasm, "Sounds perfect for our first date, Timmy."

Tim frowned, looking at something on his phone. "What's the matter, babe?"

"We do need reservations and the earliest they have is 10 PM. Just this once, I'm going to see if I can line jump."

"Huh?"

"See if Mr. Gemcity can get us in any sooner." Jethro grinned, he'd forgotten about Tim's famous alter ego. Tim sent another text and then grinned at the reply. "Ok, we're in at 20:30, that's only 15 minutes from now. I explained we hadn't expected to be in town and we're only here for one night."

"You know, Tim, I may really get to like being spoiled like this, we need to keep Mr. Gemcity around!"

Tim flushed, a little embarrassed. "I don't usually do this, Jethro, but we're only here this one night – and it is our first date."

Jethro pulled him into a spot between street lamps and kissed him lovingly. "I was not complaining, sweetie, nor will I, ever. This is perfect!"

While they waited their fifteen minutes, they went inside the building. Walking in was like walking through a time machine. Tim could picture the antebellum culture and Gibbs was ogling the woodwork. After checking in with the host, they made their way downstairs to the piano bar. They found seats, ordered drinks and sat listening to the very entertaining piano player. Tim received a text when their table was ready and they were led to the Vault, a special and private place to dine. Their server was gracious and friendly, full of historical knowledge about the room and the building in general.

While the two men took a tour of the room, enjoying the privacy, they sipped their drinks. Tim had ordered one that was a specialty of the house while Jethro had stuck with his favorite bourbon. Finally they returned to the table and the extensive menu. Deciding to try one of the local favorites, Tim ordered an appetizer of 'southern sushi', that is smoked shrimp and grits rolled in coconut nori. For his entrée, he decided on the Bourbon Molasses Grilled Pork Tenderloin, sweet potato with pecan vanilla butter and collards. He'd never had anything that sounded like that before, not to mention collards. Jethro made a somewhat quicker selection than Tim, having spotted two favorites. He started with blackened oysters on the half shell, following it with an entrée of Fillet Mignon with Green Peppercorn Demi Glace. The two agreed they would share both appetizers and entrees. While they waited for their appetizers, they tried the cornbread and biscuits their server brought them. The cornbread was so good Jethro had to restrain himself from moaning aloud. Tim had held back at first and tried a biscuit which he found delicious. He was picky about cornbread; most of what he'd had in restaurants on his book tours had been horribly dry. However, when he saw his lover having to hold back the moans he dove in for a piece and soon joined Jethro in cornbread heaven. Before their appetizers arrived, their server arrived with a plate of samples. Tim had asked about the Fried Green Tomato with Apple wood Bacon Sweet Corn Cream but was reluctant to order it without a taste first. He and Jethro each had a few bites now and agreed it was wonderful and a dish either would order if they were to eat here again.

They had planned on ordering dessert but were too full by the time they finished their entrees. As they had chatted with their server throughout their meal, he'd told them of several things Savannah offered visitors at night. The first was a carriage ride and tour through the historic district, complete with commentary and champagne. The other thing that sounded like fun was a tour of some of the ghostly buildings. Knowing they were only here for one night and wanting to make the most of their first date, they decided to go for the carriage tour. Their server had checked the times and found they wouldn't make the last history tour of the night. He disappeared only to reappear with the manager of the restaurant who told them his brother worked for the tour company. He then stepped aside to contact him and when he returned he'd had made arrangements for a late private tour just for them. Smiling, he gave them directions and after they settled the check, Mr. Gemcity giving both the server and the manager his autograph and generous tips, they headed out. By now it was getting late, but neither of them wanted their unexpected night of fun - and first date - to end too soon. They weren't due at the City Jail until 10:00 tomorrow morning so had plenty of time to catch up on their sleep…and other things. When they exited the restaurant, they were surprised to find the horse and carriage just clip clopping into place in front of the building. Tim made a mental note to mention the restaurant, the manager and server and the tour company in his next book. In fact, he told Jethro that Mr. Gemcity might need another trip down here to do some more research. Jethro grinned happily at him as they climbed into the carriage. They found warm lap blankets waiting for them as well as a chilled bottle of champagne complete with two flutes and cloth napkins in a small basket. As their horses, Jeb and Bleu, took them around the city, they snuggled and cuddled, enjoying the champagne, the tour and most of all, each other. Rather than drop them back at the restaurant, their tour guide took them straight to the hotel, much to the amazement of the front desk staff.

Noticing the cozy hotel bar adjacent from the lobby they debated whether to enjoy another drink or retreat to their room for the night. Already slightly buzzed from the drinks at dinner as well as the champagne, they finally opted for the room. They were both exhausted and didn't feel like interrogating Shiner with hangovers. Stumbling into their room, Jethro headed for the bathroom while Tim toggled through the songs on his phone. Finding his collection of Barry White he found his favorite tune and pressed play. Jethro smiled as he emerged from the bathroom naked except for his boxers. Tim pulled him in for a kiss, moaning as the minty fresh breath of his lover tingled against his tongue. While sucking, nibbling and exploring each other's mouths, Jethro began unbuttoning Tim's shirt.

"Timmy, I want you naked!" Jethro growled against his lips.

Breaking the kiss, Tim raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled. "You want me naked? That can be arranged."

Grabbing the older man's hand he guided him to take a seat on the edge of the bed. As the music continued to play, Tim danced along sexually, parting his lips slightly and looking deep into the sparkling baby blues of his lover. His long slender fingers grazed his belt buckle and he slowly unbuckled it, pulling it out of his pants. Folding it in half he wrapped it around Jethro's neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss. After a moment of playing dueling tongues, Tim was ready to continue with his strip tease. Dropping the belt he broke the kiss and began unbuttoning the remaining buttons on his shirt. Shrugging it off his shoulders he let it slide down his muscular arms before pulling it off. Gently throwing it in Jethro's direction the older man caught it and immediately inhaled his Timmy's scent.

Sighing in contentment he was startled when Tim grabbed his hand, laid it over his pectoral muscle and flexed. Giving it a gentle squeeze, Jethro ran his fingertips down the unmarred alabaster skin and stopped at his belly button. Blushing, Tim gyrated, moving his hips up and down while his hands caressed his stomach and hips. Jethro was panting, keeping constant eye contact with his lover until Tim reached for the waistband of his boxers. Leaning back, Jethro hissed as Tim's warm slender fingers made contact with his skin. While he lifted his hips, Tim slid the boxers off and onto the floor. Grinning, the younger man gave Jethro's cock a gentle squeeze, swiped the pre cum off with the tip of his finger and sucked if off. Humming in delight, Tim unbuttoned his own pants and gradually slipped them off, moving his body with the rhythm of the music. As he glided his thumbs beneath the waistband, Jethro waggled his eyebrows and gave him a small smirk. Although he was enjoying the strip tease from his Timmy he wanted to suck, nibble and touch and he wanted it now. Swinging his hips, Tim groaned as his cock was freed from the confines of fabric. Leisurely sliding the boxers down to his knees, he let go, dropping them to the floor. Growling, Jethro reached out, grabbed Tim's hand and pulled him onto the bed.  
"That was the hottest strip tease I've ever seen. Thanks for doing that for me Timmy."

Tim smiled warmly, "Anything for you my love."

* * *

A/N: Information about Savannah Georgia came from personal experience and the internet, since it's been more than 20 years since Gottahavemyncis was there. Details about "Olde Pink House" came from Yelp: /biz/the-olde-pink-house-restaurant-savannah. Details about the historic district carriage ride (except the private tour, pick up and drop off which is creative license) came from - including the horses' names. If you can get to Savannah, do so, it's wonderful, one of Gotta's favorite places on earth.


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